When Lindir came to the imposing gates of the Woodland Realm, he clutched the scroll in his hand and sighed. There was a reason that Lord Thranduil was never invited to White Council meetings, or even regular gatherings of the Elves. He was hotheaded and selfish, and quite insular. No one really liked dealing with him if they could help it, but Elrond had had a proposal he wanted Lindir to deliver. And he wanted Lindir to hang around to deliver back Thranduil's response.

What did I ever do to deserve this? Lindir wondered as he followed a guard Elf to the Elvenking's throne.

"This is very unexpected," was Thranduil's greeting to him. "Why has Elrond sent you to me? Did you have a lovers' quarrel?"

Lindir swore that, if it wouldn't make Elrond hate him, he'd smack that smug look right off of the blonde's face. "My Lord Elrond has a proposal for you, for both your kingdoms. He has asked me to deliver this message to you and record your response."

He walked up the imposing steps to reach the equally imposing throne and hand the imposing king the message. He knew what the scroll said, and he was sure that this had been a waste of time.

Thranduil read the scroll twice and then asked, "Why does he want to send Arwen here?"

"No, not Arwen. Lord Elrond has two sons and two daughters. Linwe Helyanwe is his youngest child, and she is just about the age of your Legolas," Lindir explained.

"Again, why does he want to send...Linwe...here, to my kingdom? 'Promote relations between Mirkwood and Imladris' is a bit odd if I am not sending my son to him," the king said.

"He believes that Linwe needs to experience life in the other Elven kingdoms. She is the one who will take his place as ruler of Imladris, as his other children have other destinies. His foresight has shown him that she should come here," Lindir said, finding himself very disconcerted by the Elvenking's sharp gaze. He was expecting a tongue-lashing from the Elf, but was instead surprised.

"Fine. When should I be expecting her? I will send my guard captain to escort her through the forest," he said.

"Four days after I return, which will be one week from today, my lord."

"Very well. You can leave now."

Legolas Greenleaf was a good warrior and heir to Mirkwood. Tauriel was the best fighter that the Woodland Realm had, and, despite her lack of noble birth, was the captain of the guard. Legolas was hopelessly in love with the copper-haired Sylvan Elf, but she did not return his sentiments, a fact that hurt him quite deeply, though he did not show it. They were lifelong friends, and he did not want anything to ruin that.

He went with Tauriel to greet Linwe at the edges of the forest, to be part of the royal welcoming committee. Having met Elrond's other three children, he was interested to know this daughter who was kept secret.

They waited at the edge of the forest, weapons poised in case any Orcs or Ungoliants were nearby. Eventually, they heard a horse's *clop clop* approach. An Elf rode a beautiful black horse, guarded by Imladris' best warriors.

"Hail, Linwe, daughter of Elrond," Tauriel said, bowing as the Elven princess dismounted. "I am Tauriel, captain of the guard of the Woodland Realm."

"Hail, Tauriel," she replied, her voice soft and musical. She glanced over at Legolas. He was a handsome Elf, that was certain.

"Hail. I am Legolas Greenleaf, heir of Thranduil," he said, also bowing.

Catching his meaning, she bent at the knee as well, not even muddying her pristine white dress. "An honor to be greeted by the prince himself," she said. "Did your father not trust me to get to his kingdom through the forest on my own?"

"There are spiders invading the forest. He thought it would be better with a guard, my lady," he explained.

Linwe nodded and then, with a simple wave of her hand, her guards mounted their horses and turned around, poised to leave. "Tell Adar that I am in good hands." And with another wave, they were off. Legolas was impressed.

"So? Shall we go, or do you plan on standing here till the Ungoliants come for us?" She smirked, reminding Tauriel very much of Thranduil. "And please, do not treat me differently or use my title. I am your contemporary, both of you."

"We will respect your wishes," Tauriel promised.

"Can I have a sword?" Linwe asked suddenly.

"What? Why?" Legolas asked.

Linwe scoffed. "Because you claim these lands are dangerous, and I will need to defend myself."

"That is why Thranduil sent us," Tauriel said. "To protect you."

"Well, good for him. But I am a very good fighter if I do say so myself. I would feel safer with a weapon. Adar would not send me with any; says it's not right for a princess to fight." Glancing at Legolas' small arsenal she added, "I am glad that your father does not hold to the same creed."

"No. He believes that an Elf who cannot fend for themselves in a fight should not be part of his kingdom," Legolas said, handing her a dagger.

"How long is the walk?" she wondered.

"About two hours, if we do not run into any trouble," Tauriel said.

After they went a few minutes in silence, Linwe said, "I am not sure why my father thinks I should be here. He never explains his visions to us. One day I think Arwen will engage him into a fight because of his evasiveness. And I admit, I do not exactly know what to expect."
"What do you need to know?" Legolas asked.

"I am solitary. Rarely do I engage in conversations with other Elves in Imladris, but that doesn't mean I do not listen. I hear what they say, especially during Council meetings. They do not speak well of King Thranduil. They say he is selfish, rude and conceited. That if he could separate Mirkwood from the other Elven kingdoms completely, he would."

Legolas sighed. "While I hate admitting it, they are right. My father is not very nice, and he is selfish. But he is also wise and fair. Related or not, I would have left long ago if I thought he was not a good king. He has wronged me before, and he is very difficult to get along with. He will be cruel in his words, and you must be ready to expect that."

Linwe smirked. "Words cannot hurt me, Legolas. If your father thinks that I will shirk away because of harsh statements, he will find that I am much tougher than I look."

Tauriel chuckled. "Something tells me that Thranduil has never met anyone who would challenge him so openly."

"He has not met me yet."

They arrived at the Woodland Realm gates, and Linwe, the youngest in a very kind family, hardened her heart and schooled her expression to that of bland annoyance. She had been pushed aside all her life in favor of her sister, Arwen, and she was fairly certain that this expedition was to simply have her out of the way for a bit. Being ignored and slighted by all of Imladris made facing the feared Elvenking seem like a walk in the park.

But if this Elf thought he could treat her unfairly, he could think again. She would not let anyone walk on her anymore. Being in Mirkwood would be a new start for her, and she was starting by becoming unfeeling and stronger than she ever was before.

Walking through the beautiful halls made her schooled expression slip a bit. This place was beautiful, if a little sinister. She liked it much better than Imladris.

They approached a staircase that led to a throne of antlers and branches. And seated upon it was the most beautiful creature that Linwe had ever seen. He was so tall, his legs seemed to go on forever. Clothed in silk and velvet, he had a staff of carven oak and a crown of leaves in his silver-blonde hair; hair that hung to the small of his back. His skin was milky white, with cheekbones that could cut, cherry red lips and icy blue eyes under thick black brows and lined with long black lashes.

Tauriel had been watching Linwe, to see what it would take for that disinterested mask to slip, and this was it. Thranduil. Linwe's eyes widened and her mouth started to drop before she fixed her mask back into place again and it did not slip again.

"Ada, this is Lady Linwe, of Imladris," Legolas introduced.

Linwe took a knee and bowed before the Elvenking. She heard his boots hit the stairs as he descended, and only when he spoke her name, in a deep, commanding voice, did she look up.

"My lord?"

"You are Elven royalty. You bow to no one. Now get up." He watched her as she straightened her form, taking in the beauty before him. Arwen was beautiful, and her brothers also possessed that natural Elven attractiveness, but something about Linwe struck him. She had a quality inside that the others lacked, something that made her stand out. She had the fair skin all Elves had, a pouty pink mouth, heart-shaped face and deep, dark eyes. Her hair was like black silk, falling down her back, with a small plait holding back from her fair face.

Something inside of her, a sense of grace and strength, made her more than beautiful, more than ethereal. Immediately, Thranduil respected her, and her ability to look him in the eye and not flinch.

"Welcome to the Woodland Realm, Linwe Helyanwe," he said. "We are glad to welcome you into our kingdom.

Neither royal Elf knew that the other was hiding a rapidly beating heart beneath their nearly matching cold exteriors.