Faeryn was gazing at the sun as it slowly disappeared behind the far trees when Thranduil came.

He had taken off his crown and the Royal robe on his way back, which could be seen clearly as the king was dressed in more comfortable clothes; Faeryn had thought, for a moment, that standing in front of her then wasn't the same old prince whom she had grown up with but the one who was crowned not long ago.

"You did great!" The elleth smiled genuinely and the young king was delighted. "I was scared that you would strip or fall over."

"That doesn't even sound like me. It does sound like a particular elleth I know, though. One with black hair and green eyes." With that, the poor king received a punch on the arm, he dramatically winced as Faeryn's fist made its impact and the maiden elf just rolled her eyes.

"My apologize for not being raised in such mould and manner a real lady should have."

Thranduil laughed as she mockingly said, and absently, Faeryn joined in with the refreshing sound of relaxation and happiness.

"I like you better like this, Lady Faeryn. You and your masculinely feminineness."

She should have punched the elf, really, but turns out, it sounded more like a foul praise than an insensitive joke. She grinned at the comment, saying, "I'll take that a compliment." Then, the elleth faced the king, she fixed her evergreen eyes on his blue ones like she had done many times before. There was a comfortable silence hung above the elves as the maiden elf searched for her friend's tiredness, which was found easily simply by noticing his shoulders dropped to both sides. "You did great, Thranduil. Lord Oropher would be proud."

"I can feel the responsibility, Faeryn. I used to think being king wasn't hard, and how wrong I was; the idea of power fears me. I wonder how did father deal with it." Confessed Thranduil, he leaned on the wall behind them and Faeryn sat down next to his feet.

"If Oropher could do it, so are you. I have infinite faith in you."

She said sincerely. She had heard many stories but seen more of the misery, the greed and the barbarity among people, not only the elves themselves but also in other races; if there was one thing good the elleth believed in the most, then the thing had to be Thranduil.

"I thought flattery is frivolous." The king quirked his eyebrow and so the grinning maiden elf replied.

"It isn't when it's the truth."

Faeryn caught his eyes on her, calm and protective as the look filled her up with an undescribable affection. She loved these moments between them, when they were not master and servant, just simply the two elf friends who understood things that didn't have to be said.

The young elleth arised from the ground, her feet became a little numb and she stumbled forward; Thranduil quickly caught her by the arm before the floor had its chance to be kissed.

"Careful!" He yelped and exhaled in relief, silently thanking his reflex.

"Sorry." The maiden elf let go of the breath she had been holding, Faeryn did not like the idea of hugging the floor one bit, that would be too embarrassing, and despite his concern, Thranduil's humour had never failed to make its presence inappropriate. "And thank you."

"This is why should I never leave you alone, Faeryn. Unfortune likes you in an alarming measure."

Thranduil was right, Faeryn had to agree, the elleth had more scars on her body than she cared to count, mainly because of her wandering in the woods and some came from those exhausting duelings with him. However, the worse of them all was the one on her right shoulder, now left a deep, varigated scar. The marked gave Faeryn a rage of thrill whenever she looked at it as it was painful in every different ways: the wound was hurt, the image was hurt and the memories were no better.

The scars reminded her of many things, good and bad, she could easily hide it with elf magic just like what she did to Thranduil and like what he could do by himself now through practice, but Faeryn chose not to perform it. Those scars were hers, and they resembled all the journeys she had have. Other fellow maiden elves said she was mad, their race were one of grace and beauty after all.

Thranduil had let go of her arm for a while and since then Faeryn suddenly felt cold.

"It's late autumn already, winter is coming soon." Faeryn's words were filled with pity as she said it. "I like autumn."

Thranduil laughed as if he had realized something ironic and Faeryn quirked her eyebrow in question. "You like every season, Faeryn. Even in the coldest and most gloomy day of winter can you still find something to enthuse."

"I'm optimistic. And that keeps me alive." She shrugged. Abruptly, a thought occured to her mind as the elleth began to panic. "Hold on... What are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be at the feast with the Members?!" Faeryn's voice squeaked in a detectable volume.

"I did, for a while." Thranduil said easily and that reply did not help to ease the fellow elf's anxiety.

"A while? A while?! What will they say, Thranduil? Of course they won't be pleased, that's the first one."

The king frowned at the ebony-haired maiden's sudden outburst. Although Faeryn was much shorter than him, which the elleth herself was aware of, seeing her on the edge of emotional unstability was quite apprehensive.

"Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill, elleth. I saw you left your father's side after the ceremony ended so I became anxious. Besides, I gave them an excuse before my leaving already. "

"You better did, king Thranduil." Faeryn sighed in defeat, feasts and parties where hollow praises and flatteries lied were never his liking.

"I don't lie to you, Faeryn." And she knew it was the truth. Complete honesty was the concept of their friendship; one had their rights to hide but never would one lie. "Is this the dress you wore to Meneth Nuin Giliath last year?" Thranduil asked in all of sudden. Faeryn did not change her clothes since the coronation, when people were dining together outside the garden, she was wandering around the palace all by herself.

"Yes, my best dress." Said the elleth as she spun around. The velvet was bathed by the moonlight and her dark wavy hair was as beautiful as ever. The maiden elf's eyes were glowing in the hazy lights from the lamps hung along the walls, so much alive and vibrant, no doubt that they were the most green shade Thranduil had ever seen, greener than spring itself.

"You are beautiful. Even more beautiful than last year when I saw you wearing it." He admiringly said and Faeryn could not help the blush slowly turned visible on her soft cheeks.

"Flattery." The elleth chuckled. Down in the garden in the east of the palace, music started to play. The fellow elves were enjoying themselves very much as they all began to sway. "This reminds me of last year. Music. Laughter. Lights. Happiness. And a king." She watched the people on the ground in daze and a smile cracked open on her lips.

"Ahem... Lady Faeryn?" The maiden elf turned for the call and there stood Thranduil with an awaiting hand and a gentle smile as he addressed her by the name. "Can I have this dance?" He asked, his tall figure shadowed Faeryn, and so she couldn't help but feel safe.

Faeryn laughed with delight and took the king's hand. Thranduil slid his hand to her waist and pulled the elleth closer, her hand was tenderly held in his as the king led his friend around their little 'dance floor'. The enchanting melody was heard from the distance as the two slowly waltzed on their feet; Faeryn had her eyes closed frigidly and she suddenly did not feel cold anymore, the cool breezes of late autumn did not affect Faeryn because Thranduil was having her in his arms.

Truth is, Faeryn did not know how to dance until Thranduil taught her how last year. At first he was curious of why the dark-haired female never went to dance like the others eventhough it was obvious that she was completely fond of the music and the sight of people dancing together; all she did that time was sit back and eat the good food. And so that night, in the Feast of Moonlight, Thranduil had crept up to her and asked for a dance.

"I don't dance." Said Faeryn bluntly, completely ignored the dumbfounded prince.

"So it's true then. Lady Faeryn doesn't know how to dance?" As Thranduil questioned, giving the annoyed maiden a smirk just to piss her off. He stood stubbornly right in the way, putting his figure in between of Faeryn and the dance floor she was looking at.

"I don't do dance and I don't know how to dance bare a big difference." She grumpily said. Faeryn's self-esteem did not allow her lack of dancing ability to be known by Thranduil. "Now would you mind?" She shooed the ridiculous prince away in vain.

"If you can, why don't you prove it?" Challenged Thranduil with his hand patiently holding up for a grasp.

"If you want to dance so much, go find someone else." Demanded the girl.

And so the scene lasted not for long until Faeryn had had enough with Thranduil's nagging. Defeatedly, she eventually had to admit she did not know how to dance to see the joy of winning on his face.

"Come!" The prince said, he began to pull her out of her seat towards the dancing area.

"You're supposed to leave me alone, Thranduil." The elleth refused to leave her place.

"Come and I'll teach you to dance." Sounding excited, Thranduil offered Faeryn his tutorial.

"No!" She yelped when a sudden force pulled her entire body forward, the royal elf had taken advantage on his strength and now, dragging the poor elleth behind him; needless to say, their emotions were poles apart.

"Here, take my hand." Faeryn stood awkwardly among the dancing elves as Thranduil showed her his hand. Hesitately, she put her small hand on his. "Follow my lead. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. Get it?" Her feet stumbled on themselves and then on Thranduil's, he let out a groan as Faeryn's shoe pressed his under, harsh.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry... Maybe we should just drop this..." The elleth's eyes grew big with regret and apologetic.

"I'm fine. You can step on my feet. Don't worry." Thranduil assured his partner with a smile but failed horribly as his face twisted in pain.

"I..."

"Give it a try, will you? It will be alright. I have my words."

Reluctantly, Faeryn followed Thranduil's instruction and turned out, it wasn't as bad as she thought. Faeryn was very happy as she found the delight and joy in dancing, after all this time of watching from the back, now she could actually dance and sway to the dear elvish music. After a lot of apologies and painful yelps, Faeryn had finally came to an acceptable level of dancing, she felt like flying as the elleth trusted her steps to Thranduil's skilled lead.

"Would you like to take a spin, Lady Faeryn?" Thranduil suddenly suggested a move as they were swaying to the tunes. "I won't let you fall down, I promise."

Faeryn nodded and her hold body was picked up by a strong hold, her feet were lifted off the ground and the whole world around Faeryn spun, everything except from Thranduil as she looked down at him. It was like orbitation, and he was the sun.

"What's on your mind?" Thranduil brought Faeryn back to reality with a question.

"I'm counting." She chuckled when said and her partner seemed to be interested.

"What do you count?"

"How many times did I step on your feet when you first taught me how to dance." The elleth laughed again, a bit louder this time, Thranduil, on the other hand, frowned instantly in the remembrance.

"I wonder whether we are having this moment because of you being a fast learner or it is because I'm a good teacher." And out from nowhere, the two both giggled at the comment given.

"Hhmm... This is nice..." Faeryn trusted her steps in Thranduil's lead, trusted her every move completely as he brought her from this side to another along the corridor.

"We can do this forever." As he told her, Faeryn rolled her eyes and let out a silent giggle.

"Theoritically."

Thranduil giggled too at the confirmation she had given him, that the elleth could tell as his body wiggled slightly. "We have forever, Faeryn."

For a second, the elleth doubted the truth. Elves do have forever, provided that they was no sickness, no war, no blinded jealousy nor greed, however that is not life. People die eventually, elves were lucky for not being slaves of time, still,  blood would bleed and breath would not last.

She hoped Thranduil was right, that forever would be in their favour. Faeryn did not afraid of dying, she was afraid of parting.

"Forever is alright..." She whispered quietly, the words were clear enough for the king to hear.

The elleth opened her bright green eyes to see him smiling down at her. Faeryn smiled back and Thranduil pulled her closer by an inch, they kept dancing to the beautiful music being played in the night.