Legolas is full of questions at breakfast and I do my best to answer them as fully as possible. Since the ruse is still up that we don't know each other, we eat in the private courtyard under my balcony. Honestly, I think Legolas is just hoping to see Taryn again.

"And you met how?" He asks, leaning over the table with interest. I laugh and shake my head.

"Some orcs had set a desperate trap and Taryn was doing his best, alone, to prevent them from doing so. He was young and a little foolish and left himself open to attack. An ax landed a strong blow to his wing just as I arrived. I fought off the rest of the orcs and nursed Taryn back to health although he asked me multiple times to leave. It was a long time before he was well enough to fly again and when he could he refused to leave my side. It has been such ever since." I explain, smiling fondly at the memory. Legolas shakes his head in awe.

"You are a surprising elleth, Lin." He comments as I finish my breakfast of hog and eggs. I'm about to respond when I see him stiffen and look behind me. I don't bother. Only the king could make his smile disappear so quickly.

"Morning." His cold voice chills even the sunlight on my skin. "I heard the two of you brought in quite the kill today." Still, I do not look behind me. If he wishes to meet my eyes, he can move.

"Yes. Your son is quite a competent hunter." I shoot him a wink and watch Legolas' shoulders relax ever so slightly. At last, the king moves to his son's side and into my sight. His robes are navy and silver as if he draped the night sky around him. That long, board straight hair shines like silver in the sunlight and his eyes look more like the clear sky than icicles in the sun. Despite my disagreements with the king, I'll admit he shines handsomely.

"I'm pleased to see he's made a good impression on you, Lin." He mocks the nickname, but I make sure not to make any move to incriminate myself.

"Yes, I'm glad the kingdom is in safe hands in future times," I reply smoothly and purse my lips to stop my grin when his eyes widen.

"Your mouth may be too sharp, elleth." He snaps, but I only meet his stare in silence. "It is time for you to fulfill your end of our bargain. Come with me." I nod to Legolas and leave him to follow the king. "Seems you and my son get along quite well." He accuses as I move to his side. His brows lower just for a moment at the bold move.

"He is wise for his age and kind. Attributes I'm sure he received from his mother." I watch as his penetrating eyes sharpen. My expression is innocent, but his turns angry in a moment. He's easy to irritate, that's for sure.

"If you wish to keep your sharp tongue, I suggest you keep further comments to yourself." He threatens and I nearly grin. If only he knew with whom he was speaking.

"Surely you are proud to have raised such a son." My tone is unintentionally fond and while my words may form a question, I say it as a statement. His eyes scan me but he doesn't speak again. We reach the front gate and for a moment, I believe he's escorting me out. We stop at the entrance of the woods and he turns to me.

"I wish for you to walk into the forest and back to me without being detected by my guards." He requests with a bright shining in those cold eyes. Interested in his intentions, but with our deal still on my mind, I nod.

"Perhaps I'll pick a flower for your hair, King Thranduil. Perhaps that would that lighten the heavy air around you?" I can't help but tease before running into the forest. I pause in the shade of a tree just after entering. The king had most likely put his guards on high alert which will make it harder for me on the ground. I make the quick decision to go out on the ground and come back in on the trees. No one will be looking for anyone sneaking out.

Just as I entered the day before, I move within the shadows. Green and earth-colored robes sway above me in the branches of the beautiful trees as elves watch their surroundings, yet don't see me. Soon, I've reached the edge of the king's land and can breathe easily in the presence of no guards. I laugh a little when I see a cluster of white daisies sitting in a patch of sunlight. I bend down and gently pluck two, tucking them into my hair for safekeeping.

Wanting to impress the King, strangely, I'm quick to climb the nearest tree until I'm just under the leafy canopy. "I'll need your help, dear friends." I run my fingers over the leaves and they wriggle, making a sound like the giggling of a child. Carefully, I crawl up until I'm on the very surface of the canopy. Then, I start sprinting. If I move fast enough then the groups of leaves will hold me up. My breath comes hard and fast as I run, but the feeling of the wind in my hair and the sun on my face invigorates me. Soon, I've reached the gate and descend the tree I happen to have landed upon. Then, I exit the shadows to see the king once more. The king looks surprised to see me so soon and I take great pleasure in taking one of the daisies from behind my ear and putting it behind his. "A daisy for you, King Thranduil." I smile at the childishness of it.

"Back so quickly? And without raising an alarm?" He asks, paying no heed to the flower in his hair. Although I believe I might have almost seen a hint of a smile. I feel a strange amount of accomplishment at that.

"Did you truly think I would be so unskilled as to do less?" I tease further. I do wish I could get him to smile. I'm not sure if he knows how.

"I never thought there would be such a thing as too skilled, but it seems I've certainly seen it today." Strange, but it seems he almost gave me a compliment. We walk back in silence, ending up just where he picked me up in the early afternoon. Light rain has begun to fall and I'm quick to shed my leather gear, then walk out into it. I savor every drop as it hits my skin and falls off it. "What are you doing?" The king asks and I open my eyes to look over at him lurking in the shadows.

"Feeling the sky's tears," I tell him. His expression is apprehensive and a little amused as he watches the rain fall in rivulets down my skin and dampen my dress. "Come now, King. I'm sure even you remember a time when you had fun dancing in the rain. Shall your icy visage melt if it touches you?" I remind the ice king.

"Rain is good for crops and plants, not for...entertainment." He points out and I sigh at his closed-mindedness.

"I pity the mind that ever thought such a thing. Why don't you come out, King? We are both too old to waste any chance at entertainment." I use his word and he looks surprised when I smile at him. I suppose it isn't often someone does. Slowly, he emerges into the rain. "Now, look up and let the drops hit your face." I shut my eyes and do just that. "Listen as they pet the leaves like applause and feel them wash your face with Nature's tears." A deep breath leaves me happily.

I've no doubt Taryn is also enjoying the rain. He loves the sound of the drops as they hit the leaves. "Don't you feel more alive from it? Like bits of Faer are leaking from the sky?" I turn towards him and open my eyes to find his blue eyes are already on me. When I turned, I must have been closer than I thought because now we're an inch away from being chest to chest. My eyes widen at our closeness and I freeze, looking up into his eyes. They seem a little warmer at this moment. Almost like calm pools instead of hard ice.

"I'm interested that after just meeting me that you think me icy, Aeolin." He comments quietly, eyes alighting with blue fire. I swallow.

"I'm..." I hesitate a moment as my mind clouds. "I'm sure you have your own opinion of me, King. Creatures such as we, as well as our age, there's a certain instinct is there not?" I ask him, suddenly very curious about what he thinks of me. He hums and the sound thrums through my bones.

"I agree. And to answer your previous question...yes...I feel much more alive." He breathes as we stare into one another's eyes. I lose myself a minute in the abnormality of the moment. It's been a while since I've been this close with another ellon for such a period of time. Nearly a hundred years. "It seems...Legolas was right." He reaches up and latches his long fingers onto my chin, his thumb dangerously close to touching my lips. "You are a surprising elleth." Then he releases me and disappears back whence he came, leaving me surprised and with a tingling sensation lingering on my skin.

*Thranduil's POV*

I walk back through the halls feeling like a fool. My robes are soaked as well as my hair, but still...the joy of that little moment with her lingers strangely within my chest. I am no fool. My guards checked that bag of hers and found a hidden crown. I've also not been deaf to the rumors of an elleth with skin dark as obsidian from the woods of Lothlorien. A princess. Still...I've yet to ascertain why she would hide these things from me.

Luckily, I make it back to my chamber without passing anyone else. I've two main rooms. One overlooking the kingdom for private business and another that looks over the courtyard. The former is the one I retreat to now. I open the doors and am about to enter when I hear a familiar voice call me.

"My king?" My eyes shut and I grimace, but I turn towards the voice all the same. Legolas strides towards me with a smirk on his face. One thing I wish he hadn't learned from me. "Why are you wet?" He asks first, looking me up and down.

"I was out for a walk and it started to rain. Anything to report?" I'm quick to lie and change the subject, feeling strangely defensive of my time alone with Aeolin.

"Nothing. I was only passing by." He tells me and bows, getting ready to walk away.

"Legolas," I call and he pauses. "What do you think of Aeolin?" I'm not sure where the question arose from, but only after I voice it do I realize how much I wish to know the answer. Silence engulfs us both except the steady drip of water from my left sleeve, my hand still on the doorknob of my door. Legolas does not turn around to answer.

"I like her very much. She's...stubborn, hard-headed at times, and exceedingly courageous. Never willingly backs down from any challenge or fight. But she cares. Deeply." His voice lowers slightly as if this is a secret not likely told to many. The corner of my mouth turns up at his kind words and I turn to go into my room at last. "She reminds me of ma. Sometimes." My head jerks back up to look at him, but he's already disappearing down the hallway. Feeling a bit soberer than before, I walk into my room and disrobe. It's rare than either Legolas or myself mentions his mother. It's better that way. To have felt such a thing and to lose it is something beyond words. Beyond description.

I let the sound of the gentle rain outside calm me as I slip into my own personal hot spring. As I sink down into the water a small flower on the surface catches my eye and I'm quick to snatch it and set it on the stone edge of the spring. The simple daisy Lin tucked behind my ear. It shockingly has not begun to wilt, still looking as if it had just been plucked. It was an intriguing thing to have her tuck it in my hair as if we'd known each other all our lives. Then again, she is an intriguing elleth. The first time I saw her I was struck with her beauty and ethereality as she was set before me in the throne room.

The fire from every surrounding torch was reflected in her dark eyes as she stared at me. Somehow, I sensed she found me lacking in some respect. I frown. That shouldn't bother me. The approval or disapproval of a simple elleth, even a princess, is of no consequence to a king. Yet still. The downward curve of her mouth sticks in my mind. She's quite outspoken despite her act as a common elleth. I think for a moment. Tomorrow I will ask her to meals so I may interrogate her further. Confident in this new course of action, I relax further into the bath.

AN; 😏😏😏😏