I was getting so sick of rain. Normally, rainstorms are a good thing in my book. I loved few things better than spending a rainy afternoon either writing or reading. This, however, was getting monotonous. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the hen-parties Mary and I had, sitting cozily in her room and discussing the Mirkwood males at length and it definitely wasn't that I didn't enjoy spending time with Legolas, horizontally, as often as not.

The lack of sunshine was starting to depress me, as was Legolas' maddening habit of treating me like an acquaintance around other elves. He never did it around the twins or Mary, but around everyone else it was like we had just been introduced, rather than seeing each other in various stages of pleasure on a semi-regular basis.

This indifference he displayed towards me in public was starting to confuse me. When we were alone he was affectionate and attentive, listening when I spoke and touching me often. It was like he was actually two elves disguised as one. I truly didn't know what to think of it anymore. I had tried to voice my concerns in a round about fashion, but had gotten nowhere. I knew better than to expect anything more than friendship with benefits, but I expected to be acknowledged at least.

In vain, I had picked Mary's brain as much as possible but that hadn't gotten me any closer to a solution either. I hated being confused and definitely didn't want to get hurt. I'd found myself writing more and more angsty fics as the days passed and had come to the conclusion that something had to give and it wasn't going to be me.

Surreptitiously, I began devising a plan to try to crack the icy shell that Legolas drew around himself in public. I enlisted help immediately. I knew that Elladan and Elrohir would be up for anything that they could possibly torment Legolas over at a later time. I wanted Mary's help later on, but decided to wait to broach the subject until I felt that she was in a frame of mind conducive to my plans.

Thaladir, and the chair, was gone in the morning, as were my dark thoughts from the day before. The wind was still roaring in the beeches outside my window, but the sunlight through the coloured glass turned the grey stone floor into shining art. I greeted Ithilwen happily when she came into the room, bringing an amber-coloured dress, the first of the ones she had helped me pick out. She plaited my hair in a thick braid and then offered to escort me to the great hall, but I told her I wanted to try to find it on my own. I felt quite confident now.

The room was bustling with life, as usual during meals. The elves seemed happy and light-hearted, almost as if they could feel the sunny weather through the thick rock of the torch lit hall. I saw the king sitting with Thaladir and some other elves, whom I recognized but wasn't acquainted with. Thranduil had his back turned towards the door, but I would easily have recognized the Elvenking, even without the mithril circlet he wore around his head this day, as his presence always made my heart beat a little faster.

I approached the table and stopped at the king's chair, where I made a deep curtsey and greeted the two elves.

"Good morning, Your Majesty" I said to the king, and then, to Thaladir, "and to you, Excellency."

"It is indeed a good morning, for some," the king replied with a lifted eyebrow and a quick glance at his seneschal, who seemed to have a difficulty deciding whether to look proud or offended at these words. I was surprised by the weariness in Thranduil's voice, and as I looked into his shining emerald eyes I missed something of their glow. It wrenched my heart and I hated the trade negotiations if they could do this to our king. My king. Mary was gone, I reminded myself for the umpteenth time, but I still couldn't believe it. Despite my triumph the first day, I found myself missing her more and more.

"Sit with my mortal guests while I finish the planning session with my advisors. Then join me." His voice was matter-of-fact, all business now.

"Of course, my lord." It was obvious that he had more important worries to take care of, and, besides, there were no empty chairs anywhere near him. He had said that I should come back, and that was all that mattered to me. I could wait a little longer now that I had at least caught a glimpse of him, if that was his wish.

I left the elves' table and went over to where the three men were sitting, picking up some bread and fruit and bringing them with me. Master Darek, Haryl and Renk seemed to be in an excellent mood this morning. They were talking loud with each other, and the Town Mayor greeted me happily when I approached them, inviting me to take a seat between him and his young treasurer.

At least from where I was sitting, I could see the king's back, and during the meal Haryl heightened my spirits further by complimenting me on my appearance and adding one of his usual shy little smiles. Even Renk managed to behave decently most of the time. I tried not to notice his abominable table manners, but it was hard to pretend not to see the egg yolk on his chin and the fat butter stains on the linen shirt he was wearing under a brightly yellow vest.

The men soon bragged openly about their success in the negotiations, Master Darek in a modest kind of way, actually more airing a cautious optimism, but the wine merchant seemed to be unable to get enough of repeating how supplies might be short in Mirkwood when spring comes, unless "that elf" would loosen the purse strings. "As opposed to only loosening the strings of his breeches," the man added with a wink at me that made me furious.

Haryl looked shocked, but it was the Town Master who came to my rescue, patting my hand in a fatherly manner as he said to Renk, "That was not necessary. Malinorne is a... guest... here and we should not make her, not entirely voluntary, I presume, stay in these gloomy halls heavier to bear with our thoughtless comments. I am sure we will come to an agreement with the elves." Still holding my hand, he turned to me and added, "It is naturally still our hope that you would care to visit Long Lake town at your earliest convenience, dear child."

'Gloomy halls? Not entirely voluntary?' He did not make me feel any better with these words, and I snatched my hand away from his and rose from my chair. "Good morning, my lords," I said coldly. "I will now make my stay in these halls considerably easier to bear by removing myself from your company." With that, I went back to the king's table, hoping that he would save my pride by receiving me without delay.

When I reached the table, Thaladir rose without a word and offered his chair to me. I was grateful that he did nothing that might indicate our less than seemly relationship. I thanked him for his politeness with a honest smile, sat and turned to the king. Thranduil looked at me, expectantly in a way I found difficult to understand, and made a small motion with his hand that made the elves still sitting rise and leave the table with a respectful nod to their king. It made me feel appreciated, and very important.

"Now, Mal, did you find out anything of interest from my guests?" His eyes glittered with interest when he spoke. I hesitated, not wanting to disappoint him with what I had heard, more silly talk than commercial secrets.

"No, my lord," I finally replied. "Nothing that is worth bothering you with."

"Tell me," the king insisted, "and leave it to me to judge the value of their statements." He took my hands between his and I enjoyed being the focus of his attention for the first time since the morning the day before. It felt like an eternity ago. I told him about the three men's confidence that they would eventually get the upper hand in the agreement, but left out Renk's lewd comment. Thranduil listened attentively to every single detail, and when I finished and looked up into his face, I saw that his eyes had begun to flash.

"Thank you, Mal," he said. "This was important information indeed. You may go now." Squeezing my hands a last time he added. "It will be some time before I loosen any strings. To my purse or otherwise. I shall see you at lunch."

But the lunch did not answer the questions raised by Thranduil's behaviour during breakfast, but only added to my confusion. There seemed to have been a sudden change in the way the negotiations were going, for now the king was in a jolly mood, while the three men morosely picked at their food under silence. I also got the feeling that Mary's absence was not entirely according to his wishes, as her customary seat on his left hand side was empty. To my immense satisfaction, I never saw Helca sitting there again.

Conversation around the table was light and mostly devoted to happy memories of other successful negotiations, but towards the end of the meal, the king lowered his voice and turned to me with a devilish smirk on his lips and amusement glittering in his eyes.

"You never did tell me your wishes concerning the young one, Anarion, so I have made the arrangements I found necessary for your safety. You will find that a most dedicated sentinel has been posted outside your door."

I just stared at him. The events of the day and night that had passed since last we touched upon this matter had made me forget completely about the guard and I was not at all sure that I really wanted what Thranduil had offered: a companion for sexual purposes. Or, I was sure, and the way he was now stroking my thigh under the table made me surer still.

The problem was just that he himself was not going to be that to me and I wasn't sure if I wanted anyone else in my bed. Especially at this point, when he seemed to have sent Thaladir to my room for exactly the same purpose. His hand continued to caress me through the soft silk of my dress and I was breathless by the time he spoke again

"You will wish to invite him inside before long, I presume. Do it, Mal. Amuse yourself, and know that you make him, and me, happy by doing so."

Lord Elrond eventually came to apologize, but I stopped him as soon as I caught the drift of his conversation.

"When I first got here, I wanted you to seduce me," I confessed to him. "I could have gotten up and left your bedchamber as soon as I knew what was on your mind. It wasn't that hard to figure out, believe me." He flashed a sardonic grin and then looked a little sheepish.

"You were vulnerable," he said, as if unwilling to be let off the hook that easily. "And I should have known better than to take advantage."

"It couldn't hurt, is what I figured," I said. "I'm just sorry I couldn't stay focused." We agreed not to try again.

At first, his sons hovered over me as if I were recovering from an illness and it was only a matter of time before I would be ready to pick up where we had left off. They were so endearing and funny that I did feel much better when they were near me but it was almost as if I could not see them clearly, as though there was a darkened pane of rippled glass between us.

But the twins were persistent even though their father had advised them to be patient with me and had told them that I was under no spell, that I needed time to sort things out for my own best interests. They admitted this to me and also that they were hopeful that I would return to my home with them. Their swords were sharpened; they assured me, if the king came and tried to carry me off by force. They made me laugh with their plans to hack him to pieces if he came near me.

"Thranduil is not going to come here and take me away with him," I told them. "If anything, he will have that eagle fly low enough to dump off my suitcase and then have it fly right back to where it came from."

They were not so sure, however, and they had sought out the advice of the elves that were former warriors in the Last Alliance and had knowledge of the king's skills as a swordsman. I just shook my head as I listened to them plan their strategy to prevent him from taking me back.

Thranduil, I assured them, could have stopped me from leaving that day if he had truly desired for me to stay with him. "His actions," I said, "spoke louder than his words. Some things don't need translation."

Time was not healing my wounds. And that was probably because they were mostly self-inflicted. The king was just the king. He was like the sun. When he paid attention to me, I basked in the glow of his forceful, uncompromising personality. But when anything or anyone came between us, or if he turned away from me, I shivered from the cold.

"And," I told Sheraiah when she came to discuss his son with me, "It is not the king's fault, either. But, to constantly freeze and burn that way?" I concluded, "It can't be healthy for me. I don't mind the burning, but the freezing part is painful." She agreed with me. She was having her own similar conflict with Legolas, which she tentatively brought up with me.

He was so unlike his father, to that we both agreed. We discussed the many charming ways that the prince was more companionable than Thranduil, but in some, not so charming, ways they were just alike. Legolas, no matter how sweet-tempered and good natured, is his father's son. His detached air around mixed company was familiar to me; foreign to Sheraiah. She had never been with him in the company of elves and his different, and oddly indifferent, attitude was worrying her.

When they were alone, he was a completely changed elf, she told me. I knew all about that. It sounded a lot like Thranduil, except when his desire overtook him and he had to make it known in front of anyone who happened to be hanging around at the time. He was never shy about that.

Just thinking about the times the king had leaned into me to invite me to come somewhere to be alone with him sent a wave of heat over me that would nearly knock me over. I missed him. And I hated myself for it.

Just as could be expected, by the time I was getting dangerously aroused, the king interrupted his caresses and left the table, wishing me 'a pleasant afternoon'. I wanted to hit him.

I was quite flushed when I reached my room and could not help finding my new guard more than sufficiently attractive. The way he looked with his dark hair, and the way he looked at me with his sapphire eyes, was irresistible, and I could not behave otherwise than very boldly. I asked him to come into my room and take a seat.

The elf cast a quick glance around the room and then hesitantly took up a, still standing, position right inside the door. I cursed myself for my thoughtlessness... where is a chair-less girl supposed to ask an elf to sit? On the bed, perhaps? Too intimate? What about a huge pile of cushions on the floor? Also not appropriate? I suddenly felt that this was a pitifully neglected topic in Thaladir's instructional lectures on seemly behaviour. Not quite knowing what to do, but seeing that the young elf seemed even more lost, I sat on the bed and started an awkward conversation of questions and answers spoken across the room.

"I greet you. And thank you for agreeing to be my guard."

"I greet you, my lady," he replied, looking relieved as if he had been waiting for some kind of approval from my side, and then quickly added, "It is my duty and pleasure to do the will of His Majesty."

"Isn't that the pleasure of us all?" I just couldn't help myself. "Thranduil, I mean, His Majesty, told me that your name is Anarion."

"Yes, my lady. That is correct."

"Anarion, do you enjoy your present duty?" I hoped that he would give me an honest reply this time, not just a polite, or correct, one.

"I do, my lady." His eyes shone with an eagerness that could not be mistaken.

"And do you find me attractive?" I thought so, but I wanted him to say it. I needed to hear it.

"Your beauty is stunning, my lady." He was truly handsome himself, and my body still burned from the king's attentions, which is the only way I can explain what I said next.

"Would you like to share my bed?" I still can't believe that I could ask him that without blushing, but he didn't seem surprised by the blunt question, only happy.

"The mere thought brings me pleasure beyond my dreams, my lady." This was delivered with a formal bow that almost made me giggle. Not because he looked funny, absolutely not, but because the situation in which it was delivered bordered on the absurd.

"Then, come to me, and don't call me "lady" anymore, for I am not." I patted the blanket beside me and Anarion came and sat there, smiling, and just looked at me, for quite some time, before he spoke.

"I must ask you, my la...," he interrupted himself and began again. "I must ask that you have patience with me, for I am but two centuries past my majority and not nearly as skilful or experienced as any of the esteemed elves you may have encountered before. I am but a simple sentinel, the youngest at that, and afraid to disappoint you. I am not worthy."

I did not believe him. He was an elf, after all, and thus undoubtedly both more experienced and skilled than any human male. I was anxious for him to stop talking, and start doing other things, before I could regret what I had just said.

"Touch me, Anarion." I held my breath as soon as I had whispered it to him.

"Yes, Malinorne," he whispered back and tentatively put his right hand on my left breast, just cupping it at first, then moving his thumb back and forth. "Like this?"

"Like that, and more." His caresses over the silk of my dress felt so good, and when he put his other arm around my back, I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the moment.

"May I kiss you?" The young elf sounded like he had just caught himself with bad manners, and the question sounded quite funny, considering what his fingers were doing with my nipple at the time. I nodded and immediately felt his soft lips on mine, gently, in a kiss more tender and considerate then any I had shared with an elf before. Not demanding, not dominating, and not threatening to devour me. Not Thranduil. I opened my eyes for a moment, looking into my lover's blue orbs, and snaked my left arm up around his neck, into his dark locks. Definitely not the king.

Anarion let go of my lips and rained kisses over my neck and shoulders instead. Light, butterfly touches, merely landing before moving on to the next spot of my skin. He moved the hand from my breast to my lap and began to caress my thighs through the amber fabric. I sighed with pleasure when he reached the mound between my legs and could not suppress a moan when he began to move two fingers up and down over my most sensitive spot. I leaned back onto his arm and he moved up on the bed, pulling me towards him and then lowering me onto the mattress.

"Bain nin" [My beautiful], he said quietly when he looked down on me. "Bain, bain nin."

"Hin lin gail hilol a finnel lin mall thiliol " [Your eyes are glittering stars and your hair is shining gold], he said, running his fingers over my braid. "Your mouth is a ripe berry," he continued, kissing me on the lips, before he turned his attention to my breasts again. "These, these are soft and inviting like green grassy mounds in sunny glades." His fingers sought them again, and then he lay down beside me and whispered in my ear, as his hand found its way to the burning spot between my thighs. "And this is a secret cave, hiding sweet, sweet treasures deep inside."

His words, and his hands, made me delirious and I willingly parted my thighs when he gently lowered his body onto mine. The sudden pressure from his arousal made me gasp and wrap my arms tightly around his waist, as if never to let him go. Supporting himself on his elbows, he sought my mouth again, and feeling my response, began to grind his hips into mine. The friction of our clothes at first only added to our pleasure, but I was so ready to get rid of my dress that I almost began tearing at the bodice when he asked if I would allow him to undress me.

"Will you let me adore your beauty? May I see your fair skin?"

"If I may see yours," I replied, tugging at the hem of his tunic.

We quickly got up and removed our clothes, and though Anarion was handsome to behold, I was not satisfied by just looking at him, I wanted to feel him, and really close at that. But he was not an elf who rushed things, so again I found myself lying on my back, with him sitting at my side, looking, caressing, soaking me in tenderness and loving touches.

"Le mir vain," [You are a beautiful treasure] he said as he moved his slender hands over my body. "You are soft under my hands and tremble so sweetly at my touch."

The young guard had clearly gained some experience already, because there was nothing hesitant in his caresses, once he was sure they were desired. His breathing was short now when I lay naked before him, and when I pulled him down onto me, he seemed to explode.

He was eager, and his body sought mine with a fervour that was overwhelming. So eager was he that he reached his peak only moments after his erection entered me. Embarrassed, he apologised for this lack of control, which he blamed on the effect I had on him, and then made it up to me by pleasuring me with just his hands and tongue until I thrashed on the bed begging for him to give me release.

The second time his hardness found its way he was able to make it last as long as we both wished. And as we made love again, he continued telling me all those sweet words I had longed to hear from Thranduil, but that he had never spoken to me.

In the evening, after dinner, the twins brought me to The Great Hall to listen to the singing and the poetry reading. As before, I sat on the window seat of the massive glassed-in bay window and watched the lightning flicker across the sky. Sheraiah came in wearing a dress for the first time since I had been there in Rivendell. I could hear her infectious laughter as she teased various elves and bent over now and then to entice them to take a peek down her low cut bodice. I hoped her antics were having their desired effect on Legolas.

The large room soon filled with elves and there was also a small party of men, rangers from the north, who had come to seek shelter from the bad weather. The twins huddled with them and I knew they were all strategizing about thwarting any attempt by Thranduil to take me back to Mirkwood. It did not make me laugh anymore, it made me sad. Because I knew the king would not be coming.

Silently, the great elf, Glorfindel, came and sat beside me. He had been friendly and courteous on those rare occasions when our paths happened to cross and I had appreciated his beauty from afar. Face to face, with his crystal blue eyes and golden locks, he was as close to stunning as an elf can get and still be real.

He had the same graceful ease as all the other elves, yet there was an air of grandeur about him that reminded me of Thaladir. He had the same elegant dignity and noble air as the seneschal had, not to mention impeccable manners, but without any hint of disapproval of all those around him.

"It does not make me happy to see a visitor here in such obvious distress," he said, his voice gentle and kind. I warmed up to him immediately.

"Well, it does not make me happy to feel this way, either," I answered, but I had to smile. It thrilled me that he had even noticed my existence, let alone my emotional state. He took one of my hands into his and just held it quietly for a while as we both watched the thunderstorm outside.

"I have been told," he said in a more serious tone, "that you were lured into the perilous halls of Mirkwood but managed to escape." I did not have to guess who had told him that. I looked across the room to where the twins were standing with the muddy-booted group of men by the fireplace.

"That is not exactly the story," I replied. I told him how I had met Thranduil, had been invited to visit him, and how much I had loved being with him, for a while.

"Are you in love with him?" he asked. I thought hard for several moments. Then I told him that I had loved the idea of being in love with him. This, I added, was probably foolish. I asked him if he could imagine it, being in love with a king. He said he could imagine it.

But, he said, he loved his own lord, Elrond, without the added distraction of being physically attracted to him. He asked me if I ever wanted to go back to Mirkwood, to be with Thranduil.

"I don't know if I want to see him again. I really don't think it's such a good idea," I said. "And I don't want to be in love with him. But, even if I do want to see him again, I don't think I want to go back to Mirkwood." I could feel tears coming but I was able to hold them back. I managed to control my voice as I added, "I don't like having to share him with anyone." After a second's long pause, I added, "Let alone everyone."

"Did you really think that this was possible?" he asked. "Not having to share an Elfking with anyone?" Glorfindel's blue gaze seemed to search my soul. "Anyone?" he repeated.

"Well, yeah, I guess I don't mean everyone," I admitted, "I really liked all the elves there. Well, most of them." Helca's face swam into my mind and I tried to push her down but she bobbed up like a corpse in the Dead Marshes. It was too disturbing a vision for my peace of mind. I instantly thought of Mal. At least she had a nicer face.

"I tried to share him with Mal," I explained. "His new concubine? But that proved too much competition for me."

Without wanting to do so, I thought of how happy she must be at that moment, with the king to herself. Perhaps they were bathing in the pools or lounging on her pillows in front of the fireplace in her sumptuous room? Picturing these scenes was like stabbing myself with a mithril knife. More self-inflicted wounds to torment myself with later, when I was by myself.

"Mal?" asked Glorfindel, "that is her name? The king's concubine?" I did not know if he was teasing me as I could not imagine he had not heard all about the magnificently behinded tree-girl through the Elf Brainwave Hotline.

"Malinorne," I told him.

He nodded with satisfaction as if her name suddenly told an entire tale by itself. "Tell me about her," he said. "She is an elleth?"

"No," I replied, "that would be almost easier to take. Then I could be the only mortal female in the palace, instead of just the short, dark one." He squeezed my hand and frowned at me with mock disapproval. It was such a suddenly funny expression that I laughed. He pretended to glower even harder, which made me laugh harder.

"But, it's true!" I finally managed to say in protest, "Mal is the opposite of everything that is not perfect. Ever since she came to Mirkwood I felt inadequate and I don't want to feel that way. It makes me behave badly." He asked me to tell him more.

I listed her virtues, she had so many that I counted on my fingers: tall, blonde, green eyes, spoke Elvish, to name just a few, and ended with the fact that she is much better suited for the king in her nature.

"She sounds like an elf," said Glorfindel. His glance had turned into a penetrating gaze; he was clearly interested. That took me by surprise. I sputtered a bit and tried to wave off his comment, and the look on his face, as just a silly attempt to make me laugh some more. But his tone of voice was quite serious when he asked, "Have you ever seen the tops of her ears?"

I really had to think about that one. Had I?

"Never mind," he said suddenly. "Ears can be altered."

"Altered?" I thought perhaps he was talking nonsense. Why would anyone alter elf ears? Mal is an elf? I snorted as his idea sank in. "That's ridiculous!"

"There is nothing ridiculous about it," he replied. "But," he added as he turned to look out the window, "I would need to meet her to know for sure. Does she glow?"

"Glow? No, I don't think so, but how does that prove anything?" I asked, and then added, "Most of the elves in Mirkwood don't glow. Only the king and Legolas do. That I have ever seen."

Glorfindel turned back to face me with kind smiling eyes. He squeezed my hand again. Then his voice suddenly softened as if he was sharing a secret, "You glow. When you are happy or when you laugh. Did you know that?"

"I what? Are you saying I'm an elf, too?" I was flabbergasted by his statement. He shook his golden head and his grin was merry, his eyes twinkled.

"No, my dear," he answered, still keeping his voice low enough for only my ears. "I mean to our eyes, us elves; you glow, all humans do. But you more than most. Especially when you are joyful." I was stunned.

I had never heard of such a thing before. Humans glow?

"Tell me more," I said.

Afterwards, when our breathing was back to normal and we lay on the moist sheets, my head rested on Anarion's arm, I took courage to ask him something I had wondered, but not dared asking the Elvenking, or even Haldir.

Not to mention Thaladir, whom I suspected would frown at the very idea of discussing such a topic as the sexual responses of elves vs. humans. Or write an essay of 50 pages. Unless it would take him into his naughty mood and he'd set out to demonstrate all the ways he could make a mortal react differently from an elleth. The thought of the old elf and his complex personality even made me smile. As did Anarion, but for a different reason. He was just too sweet.

"Is it very different?" I asked.

"Man, meril velui nin?" [What, my sweet rose?] He sounded puzzled and I saw confusion in his eyes when I turned my head to look at him.

"Making love... was it different with me than with a female of your own kind?" He replied with a little kiss on my nose and I had to tell him that I really would like to know before he would answer.

"Yes... It is different, a new and very special experience that I am very grateful for." His reply was nice, but not very informative. I wanted more.

"How?"

"You feel more," he began tentatively, "and it makes me feel more." Now he caught my interest and I raised myself on one elbow and watched him closely, so that I wouldn't miss a single word.

"Humans do not live long," he continued, and bit his lip, perhaps realizing that it might not be a very polite thing to say to a mortal.

"Don't worry, it's not as if I didn't know," I replied, and urged him to go on.

"Humans burn their candle faster... your emotions are stronger, your inner fire hotter. You do not need to save your spirit for ages and ages, making it burn slowly and steadily in order to last until the end of this world. And your minds are blind. You are capable of feeling physical touch only, so the bodily responses are more powerful. No elleth will ever shiver so delightfully from feeling my fingers on her skin."

He finished, suddenly looking a little sad. I assured him that he needn't worry about not being able to give pleasure, as he had surely just given a lot to me. And he had given me something to ponder as well. Another time, because now I was content with just lying there with him, not thinking, just feeling.

The approaching darkness signalled that it was getting late, and seemed to tell Anarion that it was time for him to leave. Though still naked and in my bed, he almost visibly changed back into his formal role as guard of the king's halls. His fair face became determined as he sat up and it almost looked like he was going to attempt to bow from this sitting position. Luckily for me, as I didn't want to risk hurting his self-esteem by laughing, he did not.

"I must go, my lady. I would not risk intruding on the time you may wish to devote to the General, who is, undoubtedly, more worthy of your graces." His spine seemed to straighten when he said the word 'General', and I thought that it must be someone the young elf felt great respect for.

"General?" I asked. I did certainly not plan to go directly from one elf to the other, even less to some unknown warrior elf, at least not without having dinner in between, but his mention of a general made me so curious that I decided not to distract him by protesting that I wasn't quite as insatiable as he seemed to think.

"His Excellency is in high esteem in the guard-rooms, and his name is honoured among warriors throughout the realm." He suddenly looked embarrassed. "I apologize, my lady, for not using his proper title in your presence. Our calling him 'General' amongst ourselves is a sign of affection, not lack of respect."

"Thaladir is a general?" I had suspected he might have some military training, as he was an elf of Mirkwood, but also because the body I had seen the night before could hardly be the result of frequent practise with a quill. Anarion's words surpassed anything I could have imagined about the seneschal.

The young elf seemed to concentrate, reminding me of a school-boy careful to give the correct answer. His voice was proud when he replied.

"He was a general, my lady, and a very skilled one, in the army of mighty Oropher, the first king of our wood, in the old days when elves united with men in a last attempt to best the enemy."

I felt my chin drop as I listened to him with eyes wide, which seemed to make him a little nervous. He stopped talking and even asked if I found the tale of war too grim for my delicate ears, but I asked him to continue. I must hear all of this!

"It is said that he lost all taste for war when the king was slain. This happened on Dagorlad, before the very gates of the Black land. Only one third of our warriors survived, and the General lead the heavily decimated forces back, supporting the new king in his grief. Before the old king passed, Thaladir swore to devote his life to Thranduil Oropherion, and has served as his seneschal and chief advisor ever since. This is what I have been told."

Thus my campaign began. I flirted openly with the twins, which in and of itself was a lot of fun. I wore one of my more outrageous and revealing outfits. Nothing slutty, but it certainly showed off my best assets. Both of them. I had noticed during my stay that none of the elven females in evidence were what I would call 'well endowed.' Actually, that was rather a good thing because if they had been, they'd have resembled pencils with a couple of cotton balls glued on. Arwen was the only one I'd ever seen that could be called curvy, and I put that down to her varied heritage.

I hadn't thought it strange at all the few times I had shared a bed with Elladan and Elrohir that they were fascinated by my chest, until I saw the same fascination in Legolas. What really clinched it, though, was catching Lord Elrond looking down my cleavage. I didn't let on that I'd noticed and from then on I paid a great deal more attention than I normally do to where the eyes of any elf I spoke with happened to be focused.

As it turned out, no matter how refined or courtly the elf, almost all of them looked. Of course I did my fair share of looking at them as well, even though I'd decided that it was Legolas that I was truly interested in. So I'd call it even, all things considered.

Thus informed, that evening I took to leaning over as frequently as possible in front of Legolas. At dinner, where ever and whenever I could, I teased him. I avoided him, conversing with the twins, Glorfindel (one of very few who was too courtly to commit the offense of looking down my bosom, bless his soul), and Lord Elrond instead.

I had to stifle snickers when I spoke and flirted with Elladan or Elrohir, because they seemed to delight in taunting Legolas by placing their hands quite inappropriately whenever we were in his line of sight. He gave little indication of what he thought, other than a sharpening of his gaze and a very slight frown.

Discouraged, I retired to my room early in the evening, preferring to be alone rather than participate in the singing and dancing in the Hall of Fire. I wasn't in the mood to dance. I shut the door and, as I was turning, something brushed across the back of my neck.

Instantly, I shrieked and nearly jumped out of my skin, spinning around and flattening myself against the door. Legolas stood before me, his hand still upraised and his eyes wide with surprise at my reaction. Without thinking, I balled up my fist and slugged his shoulder with all my might.

"Idiot! What the hell were you trying to do, give me heart failure?" I yelled at him. I gathered myself to bless him out, bringing my hand up to shake my finger in his face. I suppose he thought I was going to hit him again, because he grabbed my wrist and spun me around, wrapping his arms around me and immobilizing me.

"Calm yourself. I did not mean to frighten you." His breath tickled my ear as he spoke.

"Let go of me." I growled, trying to wriggle free.

"Are you certain that is what you wish? Your actions all this evening have said otherwise." His tongue traced the outer edge of my ear and I had to fight to hold onto my anger. Damn him, he was trying to pull his usual trick of going straight for my weak spots. I wasn't having it this time.

"That's exactly what I wish, you spoiled, self-centered prick! You scare the living hell out of me and then expect me to hop into bed with you? I don't think so!" His arms released their hold on me and he stepped around to face me.

"Rai, I truly did not mean to frighten you." He wore a rather hurt expression at the epithets I'd tossed at him, but I was past caring.

"Ok, fine, you didn't mean to scare me. How about behaving as if I didn't exist outside the bedroom? Did you mean that?" I had meant to confront him about this calmly, but my Irish was up and there was no stopping it now. "I'm not a toy that you can play with and then put up on a shelf, Legolas. I have feelings, too and I can't just extinguish them like a candle, like you seem to."

"Is that what you think I do?" His voice was soft and steady, but the familiar expressionless mask had fallen and his eyes were as hard as flint. "You know very little about me, then."

"Enlighten me. Tell me what's going on in that head of yours. The one on your shoulders, this time, and not the one in your breeches!" His whole posture stiffened at that and he turned on his heel and walked out, not quite slamming the door behind him. I growled in frustration and hurled my shoes at the door, then stomped barefoot over to the bed and flung myself down on it.

I didn't know whether to scream or cry. Legolas alternately made me feel wonderful and tied me in knots. I ripped my hairpins out and shook my head, freeing my hair. Walking to the clothespress, I pulled out my rattiest, most comfortable jeans and my favorite t-shirt. Damn if I would try to impress anyone else that night.

Leaving my feet bare, I padded down the hallway to Mary's room hoping she'd be there. She wasn't, but the elleth assigned to her was kind enough to tell me that she was talking with Glorfindel and agreed to give her a message for me. My temper had started too cool by that point and my mood was degenerating rapidly. I was going from pissed to bitch mode. I needed to get back to my room before I managed to alienate someone completely innocent. I had made it half way there when a strong hand caught my arm.

"Rai? Sweetling, what is wrong?" I looked up into Elladan's face and threw my hands up in the air dramatically. Elrohir, standing next to him, had trouble keeping a grin off of his own face.

"That bull-headed, spoiled rotten, misbegotten prick of an elf, that's what's wrong! I swear, he's making celibacy look good!" I was working myself into a fine state, but I no longer cared. The twins' sputtering laughter at my choice of words made me glare at them. "Don't you two start, either. I am so not in the mood!"

"Sweetling, please calm down. We will help as best we can, you know that." Elrohir ran a hand over my tousled hair, smoothing it. I shrugged him off, still too keyed up to respond favorably to him trying to gentle me like one of his precious horses.

"Rai, we are on your side, if you recall." Elladan didn't try to touch me yet, beyond his hand on my arm. "I believe we should adjourn to your room." He turned his attention to his brother. "Elrohir, go with her and keep her company. I am going to raid the kitchens for, I believe you called it 'comfort munchies', did you not, Rai?" He quirked an eyebrow at me and I snorted inelegantly, still peeved but beginning to allow the two goofballs to jolly me out of my foul mood.

"Get some honeycakes, if you can. Rai likes them." Elrohir grinned winningly at me and I started to laugh, surrendering to their wishes. I never could stand up to the both of them when they exerted the charm they had an abundance of. I did not, however, miss the look that they gave each other over my head. Between me and Mary, it seemed that Mirkwood had quite a bit to answer for. At the moment, I was still far too pissed off at Legolas to much care what, if anything, they were planning to do to him.

To be continued...