*somewhat edited*


Italicized phrases with a * next to it mean it's in Elvish

The past week has been amazing. Every day I've gotten to meet with the Prince in my—our—spot. We read my books to each other up in our tree and we talk about things, about life. Of course, he's got way more stories than me, he's lived longer. I loved the story about him fighting in the Battle of the Five Armies.

Yesterday we finished the Tales of Beedle and Bard so now I bring a new book as I walk to our tree, I will wait here until he arrives. The birds sing and the breeze lifts up my white hair. I grip onto the rough tree with my hands and hoist myself up. But I slip as I'm steadying myself and I begin to fall. My heart rises into my throat as—

Strong hands touch my back. They hold me up as I get carefully back on the tree. "Lumornel, careful. No need for such a pretty thing to be falling."

I look over to see Legolas carefully balanced on a branch and blush. Then, to my astonishment, he blushes too! You think a week around the guy would make it less awkward.

"You should have let me fall," I say while grabbing the book that I had wedged between two branches.

"Why should I have done that?" His posture, or maybe it was how unruffled he was, annoyed me. He was sitting over there being pretty while I had sweat on my brow with hair sticking to it.

"Because every misstep I take I learn. If you fail, or perhaps fall, you learn from that and next time you will not fail. It's like a child touching something sharp, next time around the child will be more careful," I say while fixing my hair.

"But what if you do fail again?" He seemed to be slightly smiling.

"Then you won't fail in the same way. Every time you fail, you get closer to succeeding."

"What about the men who haven't succeeded?"

"Then they gave up to early and didn't put enough umph in it." I brushed off my dirt covered legs.

"Umph?"

My breath caught and I froze, did I really just say Umph? "Uh, yes, umph. You know, not enough power behind the try." I looked in the opposite direction and tucked hair behind my ear. I could hear him chuckling.

I took a deep breath, "here's the book I brought. It's called—"

Legolas's hand softly touched my arm. I look up at him.

"I have something better," he said. At first, I was offended, he didn't think my book was good? But th—

Legolas jumped down from the tree and landed without a sound. He looked up at me expectantly, I realized he wanted me to follow him.

"Tulien, tulien..." I say as I drop my book from the tree. Before it lands Legolas's hand darts out and catches it. I sigh, elves. (Coming, coming...)

I awkwardly climb down the tree, actually I suspect it was quite graceful for a human (I've only seen a human twice in my life when they were visiting Mirkwood), but compared to elves it was quite awkward.

"Where are we going?" I barely had time to say. He gave me a smile that melted my heart, "you'll see and I promise that you will mela it." His eyes lit up in that way that makes my heart quicken. (Love)

He ran through the woods, I was barely able to stay with him as I crashed through twigs and other brush. 

We exited the forest and I squinted at the sun as I leaned over panting. "W... Wait..." I panted. Legolas was standing and staring at the sun while he waited. And as per usual, the elf he is, just stood there looking like he had barely moved a foot.

I then actually took in my surroundings: in front of me was the entrance to the Elven Kings Halls, buried deep in the side of the mountain.

I looked at it in awe, of course, I've seen the palace but it's beauty still takes me. Across the bridge over the Forest River, guards stood in front of the massive entrance doors. This was the only entrance that I knew of but there must have been more, at least for the royal family to escape.

I followed Legolas across the drawbridge and through the entrance. The guards eyed me but only for a second before they're ever watchful eyes went back to looking for danger.

I've only been inside the palace a few times, and that was only for my Mother's work. You see, she's well known for her work. Esgarbes, my mother, is a seamstress. She has made a couple cloaks for King Thranduil and a few dresses and garments for the High Elves. She was offered a home in the Eleven Kings Halls (by the king himself!) but she declined. She enjoys her home in the trees too much, even though they are less luxurious.

All my clothing is made by her, all dresses and anything that she makes extra of. Right now I'm wearing a green, the color of the forest, dress on top of a brown under-dress. My Nana also made me brown Leather Boots. They were originally made for some adventurer but something happened and I got the boots.

We're not a rich family, for all our money goes to food and fabric, but we make do and we're happy. That's all that matters.

Once inside, I looked around me in awe. Stone columns went up, from floor to the ceiling, high above us. The columns were made to look like logs—at first glance, you would swear that they were real wood. The cave was cavernous and still, this wasn't even all of it. There are corridors with resting rooms for the high elves that live here, there is a wing that is just for The King and The Prince, and there's a kitchen and servant halls and much more.

Up ahead I could see The Kings Throne with steps leading up the magnificent throne with great antlers behind it.

I looked up at Legolas, he was almost a head taller than me. Suddenly, he veered down a hallway. The hallway was large, very large. You could put five horses side by side and they're hides still wouldn't touch the walls.

I was about to ask where he was taking me but an elf with black hair and a purplish tunic greeted Legolas. They exchanged a few words.

"Who was that?" I ask while we start walking again.

His eyes stayed ahead, "that was Ecthelon. He is the captain of the Guard."

I looked behind my shoulder, but Ecthelon was already gone. Anyone who was anyone (at least in Mirkwood) knew who he was by name. He single-handedly killed a horde of The Spiders that lived in the woods.

We came to a slow and I saw big double doors open to the biggest Library I've ever seen, but of course, I have never seen a library before, except the one I own, which is just one bookshelf.

The library was at least three stories high with balconies on every floor. Light flooded through the glass dome at the top. I looked up and saw that green leaves and trees covered and hid the dome from the outside world, the plants tinted the sunlight into a pale, beautiful green.

Bookshelves jutted out on the bottom floor to create little cubbies. At one end of the library was a great fireplace. I think my mouth dropped open.

"I knew you would like it," I could hear the smile in Legolas's voice.

"How-why would you take me here?" I asked in bewilderment. I tore my gaze to look at the elf beside me. I was no elf and I was only a commoner, hardly a citizen.

"I knew you loved books, so I thought I would take you here," he shrugged. He then noticed that I was still staring at him.

"What?"

"I—I— it's just... No one has ever done anything like this for me," I said, twirling hair around a finger, and it was the truth. All my life I never fit in and I always felt that my parents regretted taking me in.

"Don't say that. Your parents took you in. They picked you up when you could've just died. And still, they have you. They could just send you off to Lake Town or Dale. But they didn't they still have you." His eyes pierced through me and I could tell that he was telling the truth.

I opened my mouth but no sound came out.

Legolas started walking through the Library and I followed him. I think elves just expect you to follow them. I pondered over his words and, surprisingly, I found comfort in them.

We came to a door guarded by two guards. The door was arched and it had carvings that looked flowering vines. It had ancient elvish marking that I could not read.

"What does it say?*" I said, tilting my head to the side, towards him, but still looking at the door.

"'Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.'"

Legolas pulled something out of his pocket, a key. Without speaking, or being spoken to, the guards moved aside to let him unlock the mysterious door.

He put both hands on the door and pushed. It seemed to take some effort, so that must be one heavy door for it to be hard for an elf to open.

Once the door was open just enough for two people to squeeze through, he walked through. I hesitated.

Legolas stuck his head through the crack of the door, his eyes finding mine, "Lumornel, are you coming?"

"Yes." I slowly entered the dark room. When I entered a flame appeared on a candle, Legolas set down the burnt match and used that candle to light the others. He then shut the door.

My eyes widened, there was not handle for us to use to get out. "Why did you close the door?!" I look to Legolas.

"The door will open when we need out," was all he said.

The candlelight seemed like more than enough light. In the center of the small room was a crystal which took in the light and scattered it, making the room fill with its white light.

That was when I took in my surroundings: all around me was book after book after book, they all seemed ancient, except for one small area that seemed somewhat new. This time, my mouth dropped all the way.

"Where have you taken me, ellon," I say in astonishment. My wide eyes go over to him where he looked around at the books and then to me, a smile playing on his lips.

"This is the royal library; where all the secret events, Royal affairs, and much more that is not meant for non-Royals to see," he said this with all seriousness, letting me know that I was not to tell a soul.

"Why, then, have you brought me here?" I ask, my eyes looked around the room and I walked over to the books, running my fingers over the old bindings. I could feel his wise eyes watching me.

"Because I trust you and I wanted to see how delighted you would be when you saw this... And when you read it." My head whipped over to him.

"Read it?" I squeaked.

Legolas seemed to get excited. He nodded eagerly, "yes, there are many secrets in here for you to uncover," he strode over to one of the walls lined with books and touched a book.

"Here you would read about the tension between us and an elven kingdom that has been destroyed long ago. And over here," he went to another book, "you'll read what really happened in the battle of the First Age."

"Well don't tell me all of it! You'll spoil it!" I strode over to a bookshelf and pulled out an old looking book.

Legolas and I spent the entire day in that room, and I swear that my mind was probably about to explode with all this new knowledge.But I loved the feeling nonetheless, I loved soaking up information; I was having the time of my life. I guess you could call me a bookworm of sorts.

So you can imagine how I felt when Legolas leaned over, well kind of tilted his head (we were sitting shoulder to shoulder with books strewn out around us), and said, "we must be going now; my father will be looking for me and no doubt yours too."

I whimpered, "but..." I leaned my head against the bookshelf I was sitting against. I loved it in here, being surrounded by books and being with my only friend. I had acquaintances, but my only true friend was Legolas and the realization of that surprised me.

Legolas's laugh interrupted my thought, "'but?'"

"But I'm having such a good time, I'm in a room full of the most interesting stories and I'm with a friend, and now I have to leave," I whined jokingly.

I look over at him who mocked being offended, "Stories?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I mean the most interesting facts," I said sarcastically. Legolas snorted.

He got up and we both started putting the books back, however; I did it more solemnly.

Right before Legolas reached the door he said, "I'll take you back here tomorrow."

I squealed, then I did the most unexpected thing; I hugged him. Once I realized what I did I pulled back as if burned. I straightened my clothing and put my hair behind my ear and cleared my throat, "we better get going." I could feel heat rise to my cheeks, no doubt making me look like a tomato.

Legolas didn't turn around, but I swear I saw his cheek lift with a smile... But my eyes could be cheating me.

•••••••••

We walked through the Elven Kings hallways, the only sound was our footsteps, the sound of our clothes, and the faint sound of elves talking and laughing. Probably having a feast, they are quite known for their feasts.

Legolas seemed to quicken his pace when we were crossing through the area where the Kings Throne was.

"Legolas." The voice came from the direction from the Throne. Legolas stopped and stiffened and threw me an irritated look.

He switched directions, from towards the exit to the Throne. His pace slowed as we reached the Throne.

Upon the Throne sat King Thranduil, one leg draped over the other, wearing a cloak like always. His cold piercing eyes went from Legolas to me. I held my breath, his eyes seemed to carry so much.

His eyes went back to his son, "What is the meaning of this?" His hand gestured to me. I dropped my head to the floor, I was always a shy person but being in the presence of the King terrified me.

"She did not know her way out, I was just being courteous and showing her the way." Legolas bowed his head to his Father.

I heard the ruffling of fabric from where the king sat. From where I stood with my head bent, a pair of feet stood before me. My mind started to panic, I started to think of anything else to calm the panic.

I admired the shoes. Nice black leather—

"Girl." I looked up at the king that stood before me and it was hard not to shrink back. "What is a human doing in my kingdom without me knowing?" His voice was a nice baritone, but it was like ice.

"I was r-raised here, Your Grace, found in the f-forest as a baby." His eyebrows furrowed. I thought he was angry but he just said, "what is your name?"

"L-Lumornel Nólatári," I managed to stutter.

"Lumornel?" I detected surprise in his voice.

"Y-yes." I wrung my hands behind my back.

"Meaning Tree Shade?"

"Y-yes, Your Grace," I watched as he started to pace.

King Thranduil turned to his son, "Legolas, take her to Lothoríen before you go to Imladris." The king turned around and headed to the safety of the throne.

I straightened my back at this news, Lothoríen? Why? Why on earth would the king want me to go to Lothoríen? My mouth opened slightly and I looked to Legolas with a panicked expression, he would fix this situation, surely he would. But he wasn't looking at me, he was looking at his father.

"And when would we leave?" He asked, taking me by surprise. Had his kindness all been an act? If he was truly a friend wouldn't he try to let me stay at my home instead of being taken away? Or at least figure out why I was being taken away? Or maybe Legolas was helping to rid Mirkwood of humans? No, that's not it, if that is the case then why did Thranduil ask why I'm in Mirkwood? Unless, that too, is an act?

Thranduil stopped but didn't turn around, "you leave in the morning." Legolas bowed his head to his father and turned around, not knowing what else to do, I followed.

But King Thranduil's voice rung out again, filling the area, "And Legolas? Do not fail, she could be the tipping of the balance that Middle-Earth needs.'"

•••••••••

"Fool of a Took!"

-Gandalf

Thank you all for reading! And this chapter went in a new direction that I did not expect... Yes I meant for her to go to Lothoríen because of Thranduil but.. It came out somehow different... And more intense than I expected. I really hope I have reeled you all in and I hope I got you addicted... I know, I'm weird. But I'm proud of it, just like you all should be proud of yourself.

The quote was by Confucius for any who wondered. Not the Fool of a Took one, the one about knowledge. Yes, I know I'm taking every chance I can to say fool of a Took.

So bye! Until next time! And don't be a fool of a Took... Or be a fool of a took, I don't care. *hehe*

*whispers fool of a took*