‘You stupid mule! Come back here!’

The horse whinnied in response and with an almost condescending toss of its head galloped off to the far side of the field. The elf maiden stamped her foot in frustration and shoved some hair that had come lose from her bun back behind her ears. This was not happening to her! Not today of all days! An exceptionally talented rider, fetching the Prince’s new stallion and tacking him up should have been simple, but no. This horse was evil.

‘Get over here right now or I swear I’ll butcher you up so much all they’ll be able to find is your mangy tail!’ She threatened violently. The horse paid no attention and began to gallop in a circle around her, thoroughly enjoying her rage.

‘Oh this is amusing is it?’ She demanded. The horse sent her a look that clearly said yes and she lost it. Grabbing a rope she charged at the arrogant animal and with a war cry she finally flung the rope over its head before it could react. Utterly astounded the horse looked down at the now gleeful elf.

‘There! That’ll teach you to mess with me!’ Unluckily for the elleth, the rope had become tangled with her feet and with a sharp jerk of his head, the horse sent her falling on her but into a large patch of wet mud. She screamed loudly as the horse’s eyes glimmered triumphantly.

‘Having a spot of trouble Herenya?’ The speaker was leaning over the wooden fence trying desperately to contain a fit of giggles.

‘Shut up Nesseldë,’ Herenya said irritably looking up at her very clean and mud-less cousin and best friend. She got to her feet and forcibly pulled the horse in the direction of the stables. ‘What are you doing here?’

Nesseldë fell into step with her scowling friend, a bright smile on her face.

‘I came to tell you to hurry up as the Prince has arrived and the King wants to give his son his present.’ A look of sheer panic befell Herenya’s fair features.

‘Nesseldë you orcling! Why didn’t you say so?’ With that she leapt effortlessly up onto the horse and whispered fiercely in his ears.

‘Hurry up beast or it’ll be both our necks on the line!’ The horse gulped and obeyed, galloping away at an immeasurable speed.

‘Perhaps a change of gown would be useful!’ Cried Nesseldë after her friend’s retreating back choking on mirthful laughter.

---

‘Legolas it warms my heart to see you home safe my son.’

‘Ai ada I am glad to be home,’ Legolas replied with a smile. His father embraced him and placed a kiss on his forehead before glancing over his son’s shoulder. His face fell ever so slightly.

‘And you’ve brought with you the sons of Elrond.’ Elladan and Ellohir wore identical looks of innocence whereas Aragorn grinned openly. The vexed expression on King Thandruil’s face was priceless, as if he was recalling every single infamous prank that had been waged on his Kingdom as a result of the twins and himself, with help from Legolas off course.

‘Ai ada for the summer only I swear,’ said the Prince with a laugh. King Thrandruil looked slightly more relieved and nodded to the twins and the Man.

‘It is…good to see you three again.’ All three bowed. Thrandruil turned his attention back to his son. ‘I have a gift for you Legolas, a new warhorse, if that girl ever shows up with it.’ Legolas exclaimed his thanks as Thrandruil scanned the gathered servants.

‘Does anyone know the whereabouts of Herenya?’ A servant girl stepped forward.

‘Ai My Lord she is on her way as we speak, she was having…um…a little difficulty,’ Nesseldë kept her eyes firmly lowered for she knew the moment she looked up she would burst into inappropriate laughter. Just as the King was about to reply Herenya skidded into the clearing, a rope in her hand with a reluctant horse digging its heels in. Seemingly not noticing the assembly of elves she turned around and hissed.

‘Kept moving you brute!’ She began to heave on the rope but the horse simply would not budge. ‘Get over here right now or I swear by the Valar I will mount and stuff you!’

‘I don’t know if that’s quite necessary,’ broke in Thandruil’s calm voice. Herenya’s eyes widened comically as she fell into her curtsey.

‘I am sorry King Thrandruil.’ He beckoned her forward and she came before him, squeaking ever so slightly in fear. Elladan and Ellohir looked on in amusement at the brown-haired elleth.

‘I was assured that you were one of the best at handling horses,’ said the King glancing towards the elf who was in charge of the stables, who was carefully not looking.

‘Nithron!’ The King bellowed. The elf reluctantly approached nodded at his childhood friend Legolas as he approached.

‘Ai My Lord, Herenya is the best yet I don’t know what she is playing at today.’ Herenya, not caring for protocol, smacked him hard around the head.

‘You’re the one who sent me after that god-forsaken animal! That horse is evil!’

The twins and Aragorn roared at her comment and actions and Legolas surveyed her with interest.

‘Cease your bickering,’ said the King. ‘This matter is forgotten, now everyone return to your duties.’ With one last seething glance at Nithron, Herenya turned and stalked away, trying to appear proud despite the smear of mud across her buttocks.

---

‘Come now Herenya, it wasn’t that bad.’ Said Daugon calmly as the elleth before him paced backwards and forwards, making him slightly dizzy.

‘Not that bad? I was humiliated infront of the King, the Prince and the sons of Elrond!’ She cried, flopping dramatically onto the bed.

‘You really do overreact mellon,’ he said humorously. ‘Besides the twins and Aragorn seemed to find it quite amusing.’ Herenya groaned. Daugon took the opportunity as she was lying on his bed to study her carefully as he so often liked to do. Unlike many other elves, her hair was a light brown, almost copper colour and she had large soulful brown eyes set in a flawless face accentuated by her perfect high cheekbones and elegant neck. She was petite, much shorter than the average elleth, but her figure was still delicious in the servant’s gown she wore. Gossiping elleths who were jealous of her profound beauty spread rumours that she was half-Elven, and descended from the Wild Men of Rohan, which was off course nonsense. She caught him staring at her and mistook his attention for mockery.

‘You’re just poking fun at me!’ She cried sitting up and folding her arms indignantly. Daugon smiled. They had been friends since she first came to Mirkwood several months ago to stay with her cousin Nesseldë’s family and to work in the palace. He was in charge of a patrol group for the borders and had escorted her from the dark and dangerous woods to the palace upon her arrival. He had been infatuated with her ever since.

‘I best be leaving,’ she said getting to her feet. ‘I have some washing to do thanks to that beast.’ He laughed and opened the door for her.

‘Are you to help in the kitchens for tonight’s banquet?’ Due to the long-awaited return of Prince Legolas, King Thrandruil had decided that a magnificent banquet was to take place. For the servants, this meant serving the nobility and then heading to a merry making party until the early hours of the morning. She snorted ungracefully.

‘No I’m not allowed anywhere near the kitchens remember?’ Daugon smiled even wider as he remembered her first placement in the kitchens. She’d successfully managed to set the pantry on fire. After that she was quickly moved to a position as a chambermaid.

‘Ah yes I see. So what are you doing?’

‘Serving wine, that is, if I can balance the tray.’ He laughed and she looked up at him, confused.

‘I was being serious.’ He was actually surprised, he never believed her to be that clumsy; he thought it was more a case of severe bad luck.

‘Oh.’ Herenya rolled her eyes.

‘I will see you tonight Daugon.’

---

Unbeknownst how, Legolas found himself escorting the Lady Vanya to the banquet later that eve, one of his father’s advisor’s daughters whom he had half-heartedly courted before his trip to Lotherian several months ago. He had assumed that she shared his belief that it was a non-committal fling but alas he was wrong. It seemed Lady Vanya had every intention of starting up where they left off.

‘My Prince, your absence has been most painful,’ she murmured seductively as they walked to the grand hall. ‘I am so thrilled that you have returned.’ She gave him a dazzling smile that he returned.

‘I am glad to be home My Lady,’ he said, wondering if she had heard that he had taken a total of three lovers in his time in the Golden Wood. If she had she didn’t seemed swayed from her objective. Her silver-blonde hair was piled atop her head in intricate patterns and adorned with blue gems matching the colour of her fashionable gown, low cut to show her rounded breasts. As a typical male his eyes did stray before bringing them up to met her grey eyes, a torrent storm of a wish for personal gain and raw desire. He was well aware why he had entered into an affair with her, her beauty was unmatched by very few, yet she had not captivated him enough. As many other elleths who desired him he could see her thirst for the power that came with his crown. His general attitude to such elf maidens was to bed them and then have done with it, yet Lady Vanya was much more persistent. His eyes roamed over her form again as they reached the doors to the hall and he felt his lust begin to rise. It wouldn’t hurt to bed her once more, would it?

His musings were interupted by the guards throwing open the doors and announcing them grandly. The Prince smiled at his subjects, Lady Vanya preening at his side, and he caught the eye of the twins. They wore smirks, which he knew was a dangerous sign of some elaborate prank about to unfold. His father was watching them suspiciously, and Legolas prayed reverently to the Valar to contain his ada’s temper at whatever the twins had in store for the festivities.

‘Ah Legolas!’ Said Aragorn as he approached.

‘Well met Aragorn,’ the elf replied with a smile, temporarily forgetting the troublesome twins. ‘Were your rooms to your liking?’

‘Of course mellon, of course,’ Aragorn turned to Lady Vanya and kissed her hand. ‘My Lady you look truly mesmerizing.’

‘Thank you Lord Aragorn,’ she said with forced politeness. She cared little for humans; they were so beneath the elves that it puzzled her as to why Legolas continued to associate with them, this one in particular. Legolas noticed her tone and a slight frown marred his perfect features. Aragorn appeared not to have noticed and had left to greet some more old friends. Legolas led Lady Vanya to her seat at the table and then took his leave to sit at the right hand of his father.

---

Once himself and his father had made the customary speeches, Legolas watched with ravenous hunger as the food was brought out from the kitchens on hot, steaming platters. A fortnight of traveling and surviving on lembas bread and the odd wild rabbit had left him desperate for some real food. He ate heartily, talking animatedly with the twins and Aragorn, as well as several other soldiers he knew. Unfortunately his good friend Nithron as a stable hand did not warrant an invitation to such an event, which he was unhappy about; he would have liked to have caught up with him on everything he’d missed in Mirkwood, on a not such a political level.

Several elleths emerged from the kitchens carrying huge jugs of Dorwineon and headed towards their assigned tables. To the Prince’s mild surprise the elleth who approached their table was none other than the pretty elleth from earlier who had struggled so with his new warhorse. He took a moment to look at her properly; she was certainly an improvement from earlier, with no patches of mud on her gown and straw in her hair. She wore a fitted red dress that highlighted her unusual colouring and her face was complete perfection, he could find no fault whatsoever. She kept her eyes firmly on the task at hand as she poured Elladan a glass and the twins exchanged smug glances thinking that this elleth was too enamored by them to speak. Legolas believed she simply didn’t want to spill the wine; she didn’t exactly strike him as the most graceful of elves. A border guard whom Legolas knew as Daugon smiled up at her familiarly when it was his turn to receive a glass.

‘I see they allowed you to carry the wine then.’ She shot him a mock glare.

‘Hush you, I could so easily lose my concentration and pour this all over you.’ He grinned as she finished but before she could turn away he caught her wrist. His action made her spill a little onto the floor and she pouted adorably.

‘Oh Daugon look what you made me do! I was doing so well!’

‘Do not fret my Lady,’ said Elladan cheerfully. She blushed at his attention and turned back to the guard.

‘Are you going to merry making afterwards?’ He asked. She sighed loudly.

‘Yes Daugon, if I don’t spill too much of Thandruil’s wine, I will see you there.’ She moved on to her next table and the guard turned back to the other elves.

‘She’s quite a charming girl,’ remarked Ellohir. ‘What is her name again Daugon?’

‘Herenya my Lord,’ he replied. ‘And yes she is charming.’

‘You are friends?’ Asked Aragorn with a raised eyebrow. Daugon caught the hidden meaning.

‘Ai that and no more my Lord, although I sometimes wish that we were something else.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes and I am not the only elf who wishes this,’ Legolas raised an eyebrow in interest.

‘She is quite popular then?’

‘My Prince, the males of Mirkwood are captivated by Herenya’s remarkable beauty, it had been said that none can match her in the lower classes and some even believe she bests Lady Vanya herself,’ he laughed at the elves’s exclamations. ‘Unfortunately she’s too naïve to notice, too concerned with the horses to notice the elves trying to court her.’ All eyes turned back to the elleth in question, who was disappearing into the kitchens. Ellohir had a look of mischief on his face, echoed by his twin.

‘Daugon, I think we might join you at the merry making tonight.’