Annalee

As I sit by the window in Lossenel's room, my mind travels back to the bitter-sweet moments before Arahaelon left.

"Do you have everything you need?" I ask him as he wanders about our chambers, strapping his twin daggers around his waist.

"I believe so," he replies as he stuffs the last few items into his bags.

"Would you like for me to braid your hair?" I offer when I notice that it is unbound.

He smiles over at me before nodding. "I would appreciate it."

After retrieving a few hair ties from the washroom, he sits down in front of me on the bed, and I begin braiding his hair, marvelling at how silky and soft it is.

"Promise me you will be careful," I whisper as the familiar ache begins to tug at my heart.

"I promise," he replies seriously, and I smile slightly.

"No daydreaming. I want you aware of your surroundings at all times," I continue, beginning to sound like a mother hen.

He chuckles lowly at that. "I cannot help it if my mind wanders back here to you," he says, his voice low and mesmerizing.

With flushed cheeks I reply, "As much as I like knowing that you will be thinking of me, it worries me, also."

As I finish braiding his hair, he turns to me with searching eyes. "I want you to keep yourself busy while I am away, Annalee. I have already told my sisters and Arwen to not allow you to shut yourself up in our chambers. If you stay busy, you will not have time to miss me."

The corners of my lips lift. "If you think that keeping me occupied will make me forget your absence, then you do not realize just how much I love you," I respond, and he leans in to kiss me.

"'Twill help. I do not want you to be sad. Spend time with your sister and Itylra. Laugh, smile," he instructs, brushing his fingers across my cheek, and I nod.

"I will."

We both hear a knock at the door. "My king, it is time to depart."

"I will be there in a moment," Arahaelon replies, not once looking away from me.

"Of course, my king."

Arahaelon kisses me sweetly, and I cling to him, wishing he would stay here with me. He deepens the kiss, pulling me closer to him.

"I will see you soon, Annalee," he whispers as our lips part, "I love you."

I blink away the tears that threaten to fall in an attempt to be strong for him, but the memories of my vision flash before my eyes hauntingly. "I love you."

He stares at me for a long moment before leaning in and kissing my lips once more, and then he stands. "I will be back before you know it."

And then he was gone.

Lossie sighs, pulling me from the scene I have been rewatching in my mind since the moment he left three days ago.

I turn to look at her, watching as her chambermaids style her hair for the day. "Arahaelon instructed me to keep your mind off of him, and I am failing," she says sourly as she stares at her reflection in the mirror.

I notice the three chambermaids exchange amused glances, and I shift uncomfortably.

"I am fine," I assure her weakly, and she casts me a glance that confirms just how much she disbelieves me.

"You are miserable, Annalee. There is no need to pretend with me. I can see right through you," she answers in her usual bell-like voice, "And to think that, not too many weeks ago, Arahaelon believed that you did not love him." She laughs at that, pulling a reluctant smile from me.

"Things most certainly have changed," I agree with a nod before an idea pops into my head, and I smirk, "Oh, I meant to ask you this many days ago but never had the time. Is there any special ellon who has caught your eye?"

She blanches, a most uncharacteristic response from her, and I know that I have guessed correctly about her feelings for Elrohir. "What makes you say that?" she questions, narrowing her eyes at me curiously, "And with that satisfied smirk, no less?"

I shrug. "I guess I am good at reading people," I reply, "I can see right through you, Lossie."

Her chambermaids burst into giggles, causing her to blush deeply. "There is an ellon," she says quietly, and she sends her maids from the room politely.

"Yes," I respond, waiting patiently for her to tell me what I already know.

"Oh!" she exclaims, covering her face with her hands, "'Tis so foolish of me, Annalee! I know that he does not feel the same way!"

"Have you felt your bond?" I prod gently, and she nods after a few moments of silence.

"I-I believe so. I was most certainly infatuated with many ellyn when I was younger, but now, this is so different. I have never felt anything like it before," she sighs in her soft, dreamy voice.

"I know how it feels," I tell her, placing my cheek in my palm as I sink more comfortably into the chair. "It took me quite sometime to come to terms with it, but I knew all along that I loved your brother."

She appraises me as if she is silently comparing all the things she has been feeling to what I divulged with her in the past. "Yes, I am quite positive that I have felt my bond. 'Tis too strong to be ignored, and it demands my attention whenever I am with him. I used to think of him as a brother since he is younger than I am, but now he plagues my thoughts every second of the day. Is it possible for bonds to be one-sided?"

I shake my head. "From what Arahaelon has told me, no. Bonds bring together soul mates, so a one-sided bond would not make any sense," I say, hesitating for a moment before adding, "Maybe his feelings are clouded... by past hurts."

Her eyes tear up as she looks over at me, and she is every bit as beautiful as a royal flower plucked from the gardens, even when crying! Her hair falls down her back in tight curls with pearls and jewels twinkling from where they have been tucked in. Her white dress makes her look like a fresh snowflake that has fallen from a winter sky. How could Elrohir not notice someone as beautiful as Lossenel?
"You know, then," she states with no doubts, "You have figured out how I feel about Elrohir."

I nod quickly, happiness building up inside of me. I cannot believe I was right! Just one moment in time, one glance toward Lossenel at the right second, and I knew that she was fond of him. Elrohir and Elladan are dashing and quite the charmers, so I have no doubts as to how Almarëa and her sister fell for them both. I just hope that Lossenel will find as much happiness as her sister has found with Elladan.

"When Elrohir was telling me about... his past, I happened to look over at you, and I knew."

She nods, looking impressed. "Arahaelon is the only one who knows."

"He does? I have wanted to tell him for so long, but I believed it would be an invasion of your privacy."

She laughs lightly. "Arahaelon misses nothing. He has known for sometime now," she explains, and I laugh, too.

"I should have known. Sometimes I believe that he can read my mind," I say.

"Eventually he will be able to, in a sense. When you bond completely, you will be able to speak to each other through your minds and sense what the other is thinking and feeling," she divulges with a smile. "Arahaelon told me this one time."

I raise my eyebrows. "Do I even want to know what goes through his mind? If he never misses a beat, then his mind must be extraordinarily busy. I believe that mine is busy enough for the two of us," I say with a laugh.

"Do you think I have any chance with Elrohir?" she asks dejectedly, glancing down.

"Of course! He is just hurting from what happened to him so long ago. Surely if you told him how you felt, he would realize what has been hidden from him all this time."

She looks unconvinced. "I do not know."

"I can speak with him," I offer, "I can steer him in the right direction."

She thinks for a moment, her eyes closing. "You would do that for me?"

I laugh. "You are my sister. I would do anything for you."

Her eyes become watery as she stands, floating over to pull me up into a hug. "Thank you, Annalee. You are the sweetest person I have ever met. I am truly blessed to have you as my sister," she speaks genuinely, and I can hear the smile in her voice, "I have been worrying and hurting in silence for so many years. I-I want to be done with it. I want the same happiness that you and Arahaelon share."

"You will find it. I am sure of it."

When she pulls away, she wipes at her eyes in embarrassment. "The elleth that hurt him all those years ago, she does not know what she lost when moving on to another," she mutters quietly.

"She found the one whom her soul was created for, but she did not treat Elrohir the way he deserves. She could have visited him or wrote a heartfelt letter or something," I reply with a heavy heart.

"I try not to be bitter towards her," Lossenel admits, "But it is so easy to give in to that feeling. Elrohir has been permanently damaged by her silly actions, and sometimes I am afraid his own bitterness will keep him from accepting our bond."

"Twill most likely take time, but eventually he will come around," I assure her, patting her cheek, "Now, I do not think he went on the hunt, so I will go and find him."

She nods anxiously. "He stayed behind. Arahaelon would never admit it, but I think he asked him to keep an eye on us. Also, I think my brother did it so that I would have a chance to speak with Elrohir alone."

I smile widely. "Arahaelon thinks of everything."

______

"Elrohir?" I question hesitantly.

He turns, smiling handsomely when he sees me. "Annalee, I did not expect to see you here."

I step through the trees of the forest, sitting down beside him. The stream in front of us gurgles happily, and the birds all around us sing for one another. The sun streams through the thick tree leaves, casting its light upon Elrohir's raven-colored hair, and I notice the barely-there tints of red that are normally hidden by his inky strands.

"Arahaelon made me promise to not lock myself in our chambers and sulk. 'Tis harder than I ever imagined," I sigh, causing him to laugh brightly.

"He loves you so dearly," he comments, reaching forward to place his fingers in the cool stream. We both watch as the water rushes over his skin.

"I know," I reply simply. I lean back, placing my hands on the grass behind me and looking up at the trees as I search for the right words to say. "I actually came looking for you."

He turns his clever grey eyes on me, and he smirks. "I know."

I cannot hide my smile as he repeats my phrase. "You and your siblings are eerily similar to your father. How do you know everything?"

He laughs again, clearly in a good mood today. "I do not know everything. We are an odd bunch, I guess. We simply observe what others usually miss."

"And speak in riddles?"

This makes him laugh once again. "My father is the best at riddles. He sometimes bests Mithrandir, and that is saying something."

I chuckle, relishing in the cool breeze that walks through the forest leisurely. "Well, I actually have something to talk to you about. It has been on my mind for quite sometime," I state honestly.

"And you are nervous about it, which makes me worried," he says lowly, turning those eyes on me once again and cocking a dark eyebrow, "Or am I wrong?"

I shake my head, not allowing him to make me feel uneasy. "You are correct," I reply, struggling to bring up the topic. "Um, well, I wanted to talk more about Lura."

I analyze his expression closely, looking for any sign of discomfort or pain or of him shutting me out, but his face remains still and serene. "What do you wish to know?"

I shift slightly, clearing my throat. "So, you say she felt her bond and that is why she married?"

He nods. "Yes."

"Can bonds be one-sided? Is it possible that you really did feel a bond with her, but she felt hers with someone else?"

"No, that is not possible, and it does not make sense if you think about it," he replies thoughtfully. "Like I told you before, I was infatuated with her, plain and simple. It was the foolish feelings of a child."

"What if this memory of Lura has clouded your feelings for others?" I ask before realizing how rude this sounds. "I-I simply mean, have you felt your bond?"

He searches my eyes, looking for who-knows-what, and then he smiles kindly. "This is about Lossenel, is it not?"

I am sure my eyes turned as round as dinner plates because Elrohir laughs. "How did you know?"

"Because I have felt my bond, of course," he replies simply.

I blink.

With another laugh, he turns his body to face me and gives me his full attention. "I knew that Lossie and I shared a bond for many years now. I held back from telling her because I did not know how she felt."

"Oh, Elrohir!" I exclaim with a grin, unable to voice just how happy his words made me feel, and he chuckles. "Oh, Elrohir, she feels the same as you! You must tell her!"

"She does?" he asks, tilting his head slightly. Suddenly, his eyes sadden. "I do not feel worthy of her."

"Worthy?" I ask in disbelief, "No one is more worthy of Lossie's affections than you! You share a bond!"

He smiles again. "I want to thank you, Annalee. After our talk that day, I have slowly been able to let go of the bitterness I felt for so long. I believe that I am ready now to be the ellon I should be. I am ready to finally speak to Lossie, to see if she will have me. I am not perfect and it will take time for my heart to heal, but I know now that she is the only one for me."

Tears well up in my eyes. "Me? I have done nothing but meddle in your personal life."

He wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to his side in a brief embrace. "I do not know how to explain it. Your presence, your aura, it is healing somehow. Being around you puts me in a good mood."

"Thank you. I am so happy to have helped you," I say, still shocked by his praise.

"Well then," he sighs cheerfully, standing from his place beside me, "I guess it is time I speak to her."

I stand, too, walking with him back to the palace. "Do not be nervous. She will be ecstatic."

He glances at me amusedly. "Do you plan to accompany me?"

I blush, embarrassed by the fact that I had been following him. "Ah, no... no. Sorry," I mutter, causing him to let out another musical laugh.

"I am only teasing you," he replies, sounding eerily similar to Arahaelon, and he touches my arm, turning serious. "Thank you, Annalee."

With a smile, I breathe, "Good luck!"

As I watch him enter the palace, I feel light as a feather. My mind sends up a prayer for my friends, hoping for the happiness that they both deserve, and I turn my back on my home, deciding to visit my sister and Itylra.

My thoughts wander back to my husband who is far, far away from me at the moment, but despite the distance, I feel him close. Now that I am no longer sulking about, I can finally concentrate on our bond. His warmth fills my soul, the way it does when I am standing by his side, and tears well up in my eyes as the brightest smile possible appears on my lips. When I close my eyes, I can practically feel his touch, and I realize that, wherever he is now, he is also thinking of me and sending his love.

I touch my chest, focusing my attention on the fierce pounding of my heart, and as I walk away from the palace, I imagine his return. In my mind, I see him riding toward me on the white stallion he left upon. I can see his face so clearly, his expression a mixture of raw love and excitement. He leaps gracefully from the horse, caring not that the rest of the company and the townspeople who have gathered to welcome them home watch us closely. He takes me in his arms, kissing me fiercely, almost as if years have passed since his departure instead of mere weeks.

Emotions surge through my chest just imagining the scene, and I find myself blushing. His return means the start of a new chapter in our lives. It means the bliss of being a real married couple, the eventual blessing of a tiny baby, and the happiest I have ever been in my entire life.

Arahaelon is my everything. In his absence, my body aches for him, but I decide to be positive. In my heart, I know that he will return to me, no matter what happens on the hunt. So, I will make myself useful. I will visit the townspeople like a good queen should, and I will bring light and laughter into the hearts of the women and children who are missing their husbands, fathers, and sons. I may know absolutely nothing about being a ruler, but I do know that simple acts of kindness can change lives. I am through hiding away in the palace.

As I stride through town, mentally making preparations to bring baskets of food and gifts to the common folk tomorrow, I finally feel like the queen that I am. I watch the elflings playing in the dirt road, racing with their wooden hoops and using wooden paddles to hit balls made of cloth and stuffing back and forth to one another. Elleth bustle about, carrying baskets of dirty clothes in the direction of the streams or purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables from the market. I force myself out of my shell, sending small waves and smiles to the passers-by, and it warms my heart to see their eyes light up as they greet me.

Yes, I think to myself, it is definitely time for a change.

________

A/N: Yay I posted! Haha! Hope y'all enjoy! Much love and God bless :)