"I'll never talk to you."

"You just did."

Eldarion reclined in his throne, a smirk on his face. He wore black and red robes, and his hair was black, from prolonged time in the dark. The girl in front of him had ragged clothes, limp, sweaty hair, and bloody wounds. Her sapphire eyes lit up the room.

She stood up as straight as she could. "Eldarion, you are not a half-elf at all. You are a peacock, showy and strong, but weak and foolish, attracted only to the glory and power of dictatorship. You know how every feather of yours works and when to act. But you have made a mistake."

Eldarion took this in, expressionless. "Do not speak in that tongue here, in the heart of evil. What mistake have I made?"

"You have put me in a trap. And if you have any hope of seeing tomorrow, you should never, ever, ever, put me in a trap."

He still smirked. "Say that tomorrow, when I see you again." He moved his hand, and masked guards took the girl away. She shook uncontrollably, screaming. "No, no! Take me back! Put me back! Take- take me away! Let me go! Let me go!"

Her sobs echoed throughout the halls. Eldarion send his guards away. No one saw it.

A glimmer in his eye.

Tears.

()()()()

Crashing. Running. Sweating. He charged through the trees.

Legolas was in Mirkwood. He was charging through the trees. He had not been here in ages. He had left so many people behind. They had to be warned of Eldarion, and not to hunt...

"Ada!" he cried. The cry was ripped from his throat before he could top it. "Ada!" The forest was black. Ash dotted his blonde hair.

He reached the palace. The roof was caved in, and blood stained the plant life. There were weapons strewn about the ground, but no bodies. Legolas grabbed a knife and ran inside the palace.

Everything was a mess. Here there was the dead. Maids, guards, soldiers. All dead. Legolas faltered, grabbing a beam for support. He heard a rustle, and spun around.

Two orcs were there. He launched himself at one of them and hid madly with his knife, not caring what damage he caused, as long as there was some. He stood up, shaking. Blood was on his hands and clothes. The other orc advanced on him. Legolas had no weapons. The knife had been knocked from his hands.

He was not in the clutches of the orc. He opened his eyes, and gasped. Thranduil?

The king certainly was worse for wear. He was in battered battle armor, and his hair was a tangled mess. "Not my son!" he yelled. Legolas lunged for his dagger and both father and son attacked the orc. And, with a swipe of the king's sword, the orc was dead.

Thranduil looked at Legolas. Father and son hugged tightly, and stayed that way for a long time. "You're alive." Legolas said. 

"You disappeared." said the king. "I thought you were dead. I hear rumors of a new foe in the East, and then you disappear!"

Legolas was defensive instantly. "Aragorn needed help." Thranduil sighed. "First we meet, and then in an instant, we argue. Why do you feel so fond of that mortal? And Tauriel? And the dwarf? What good are they to you? They will just die eventually."

Legolas was hurt by this. He wanted nothing more that to slap his father. But he didn't. They had just been reunited. "Tauriel will not die." Legolas said defensively. "She is an elf."

"She is weak." said the king.

"Really? Say that again to my face, Thranduil." said a fierce voice. A flash of red hair cut across Legolas' vision. Tauriel smacked the elven-king across the face. Legolas tried to hide his laugh, but couldn't, and basically fell over laughing.

"You will address me as king." said Thranduil, in an attempt to regain some dignity.His face was red. Tauriel smiled. "I do not need to. If I recall, you exiled me. You are no longer my king."

Legolas hugged her. "Why did you follow me?" he asked. She shrugged. "You'd get into trouble without me. Looks like you did." She began fussing over his wounds. "I'm fine." he said. But he winced as she touched a cut on his leg. "No, you're not." she said.

Legolas looked at her, knowing what she must've thought. Every time I leave her, I could never return, he thought. The thought made him horrified. "Tauriel, I'm not going to die." This made her freeze. She looked up at him. "Neither am I."

Legolas looked at her. He felt the terror that she felt. He was scared for her as well. She hugged him, her hair spilling over Legolas' shoulders. "Promise you're not going anywhere." she said firmly. Legolas nodded. "I promise."

Tauriel pulled away. Thranduil was still rubbing the spot where she slapped him. Dramatic, Tauriel mouthed to Legolas, who grinned. He rolled his eyes. "Get up, Ada." he said.

Thranduil looked at him. He stood up and brushed the rubble off his armor. The three of them walked out of the palace. "Any survivors?" asked Legolas. When no answer came, he assumed the worst. When the sun was setting, they set up a small camp, much to the frustration of Thranduil, who would much rather be in a palace, not on his way to help mortals. When Legolas told him about Galadriel's presence, Thranduil shut up.

Tauriel and Legolas went hunting. Thranduil had a big gash on his leg, and it had reopened, so he could not walk, let alone hunt. Legolas and Tauriel took their time, laughing, climbing trees, and kissing. They both loved to spite Thranduil, who could do nothing about it. When they both sat on a tree branch, Tauriel rested her head on his shoulder. An Idea popped into Legolas' head, and he smirked. He leaned backwards, hanging onto the branch upside-down with his legs, and Tauriel shrieked in surprise, and, thanks to quick reflexes, did the same. She slapped him, maybe a little to hard to be playful, and they both laughed, hanging upside down in that tree.

Later, when they all had eaten, Thranduil looked at Legolas when Tauriel wasn't paying attention. "Any sign of Dawn?" he asked quietly.

Legolas stumbled on his next word a bit.

"Dead."