Faeryn had been avoiding him. She never had. Thranduil exhaled in frustration as he strode quietly along the halls. These were one of those precious moment when he didn't have to occupy Princess Aerondess and her people. Of course, this moment would be much more enjoyable if Lady Faeryn hadn't chosen the forest over him - her friend.

"My Lord, Lady Aerondess has been waiting for a while now. Should I go and tell her you are not occupied?"

A guard approached by the feet of his throne without him noticing until he spoke.

The mention of the royal guest was the last thing the king needed for this dreadful day. He was out of his mind - which cause was always a certain elleth - and he had to admit that he did not like spending time with the princess at all. She was too predictable, easily pleased, unlike Faeryn who had never failed to stir his day around.

"No. I want to be alone." Thranduil dismissed the guard, he stared into the blank space for a second and finally decided. "Actually, I have some business that needs to be taken care of. Nobody should disturb me."

Without saying another word, the kind strode out of the throne room. He chose the paths where he knew for sure he would not encounter with princess Aerondess or any other source of presence that might stand between him and his business.

Walls after walls, they led him to a familiar room, Faeryn's room. Thranduil stood their for a while, decided to knock first. But how unfortunately, there was no sight of the elleth to amswer the door. The fame stood still and quiet, perhaps she was still somewhere out in the forest.

And so Thranduil did something unlike himself. He waited. Allowing his figure to sink into the shadowed part of the hall, he avoided being seen by the maids and guards of the palace as they were working in fast pace.

He waited, and was very aware that his patience was running out, which was again, unlike himself. Having lived for so many centuries had the king to lose track of time easily, but this was the first time in so long that he acknowledged the long wait. He knew Faeryn would be flattered, seeing her whom he had been waiting for in the dark like a thief.

At first, he did not noticed, but then the footsteps got louder as they came nearer. He held his breath, feeling as if he was in a game of hide and seek that he and Faeryn used to play in their younger days. Whoever it was started to head towards him and stopped short in surprise.

"Thranduil! What are you doing there in the dark? And at my door?!" The elleth yelped, totally caught off guard.

The king emerged himself quickly, his eyebrows churned, looking not very pleased. "I have been waiting." For an awfully long time. Mentally, he added.

Faeryn pushed him aside as she opened her chamber, sliding in. Thranduil, indeed, followed.

"Don't you have a realm to rule or something?" He heard her asking, her back facing him so it was hard to tell if she was mad at him or just simply playing with him.

"Say, my dear mellon. Where were you the whole day?" Ignoring her question, he asked.

Faeryn took off her coat and threw it onto her bed. "Out to the woods." She answered curtly as if it was a fact.

Thranduil bit back a scold. This was unlike Faeryn. His Faeryn was kind, gentle and wise. She did not bear such attitude when speak. "Without my company?"

"My apology. But I am at no place to demand such thing from you noble. Perhaps, our future Queen will appreciate it, as you see, she deserves it." Cooly, the elleth said.

Thranduil looked scandalous. Faeryn did have that spirit inside her. And guts, too. He was not sure if he should be angry, or even if he was, he was certain of whom should he be angry with: himself or Faeryn.

Was it jealousy in her voice? Was she feeling neglected? The thoughts amused him. Well, it was true that he had been busy these day. And the only elven he wanted to see was Faeryn, could she not understand that?

"Come with me." Thranduil spoke up. He reached out for her small hand and started pulling her out of the chamber.

"To where?" He felt Faeryn pulling back, protesting his idea of going outside, but she was no match for him.

"To the garden."

"I don't think I fancy it very much. I'd like to go back to my chamber, now if you'd excuse it and let go of me." Faeryn supressed her anger as she tried harder to escape his grip. But it was too late now. They were already out in the garden, exactly where he had planned to take her.

They stood there for a while, just looking at each other. The sun was slowly fading, creating a beautiful picture of the realm being bathed in the last sunlights of the day. He stared at the elleth, mesmerizing her beauty, her elegantly breathtaking beauty.

Yes, Faeryn was beautiful, he had known that for a long time, but why now, did it made him actually feel something was kind of hard to explain.

He loved her black velvet hair. He loved how her special green eyes shown, even in the darkest of the day. He loved how she was looking at him as she grimaced slightly, showing him annoyance and confusion. He loved he-...

"Why are you hiding from me?" Asked Thranduil.

"I'm not!" Faeryn quickly protested.

"You are angry." He added knowingly.

"I'm not!" Again, she denied.

"Then why are you treating me differently? Why did you deny my company?"

"I have to." Quietly, Faery replied. It struck the king more than he had expected.

Thranduil was wise and clever, he had to be as he was now a king. But only this he could not understand. Faeryn was departing herself, drawing a border between their friendship, pushing him, her mellon away for no reason.

"The time has changed, Thranduil. Things are not the same anymore. I need to learn where my place it, especially right now."

Her words were vagued but yet, felt so obvious at the same time.

And Thranduil hated the feeling. A lot.

He had thought he could read Faeryn. But he guess he was wrong. It was almost a like challenge; however, on second thought, it was more like a torture. He could still touch her, smell her breath, feel her skin, see her eyes, but there was a wall shielding her heart.

"I'd prefer us not to change, as you may say, dear Faeryn. Your place is here, by my side and I shall not let anyone or anything alter that."

Faeryn reached for his face and the young king allowed her touch. The green in the elleth's eyes swirled like a storm. He looked at her in awe, enjoying every moment of the skins interacting. It was a promise, a promise that he vowed to keep. Mother was dead. Father was no more. She was his only.

"I love you. So don't ever push me away, dear friend. Don't ever leave me alone."

Thranduil whispered. So quietly, and yet, so endearing. He loved her, right? Or was he in love with this elleth? Was this right or wrong? For a king to fall hard for someone who is not a princess?

"I'm scared. That's why I'm running away." Faeryn whispered back, her voice was weak and trembling. "I'm scared that I'll be the one who is left behind. I'm afraid that my feeling is... I'm afraid that I may have-"

"There you are! I have been looking for you everywhere, my Lord."

Thranduil bit back a curse. He turned around to see who had the moment interrupted and saw Aerondess, dressed in luxurious gown and smiling at him.

"Am I interrupting something?"

The princess innocently asked. Thranduil glared at the blonde elleth secretively, wanted to shout yes and just simply shoo her away. However, Faeryn beated him to it as she bowed at the noble one and said.

"No, my Lady, I was just leaving."

Aerondess smile only got wider, but the gleam that she was trying to hide did not manage to escape the king's eyes. It was the look of knowledge and envy.

"Marvelous! My Lord, dinner is served, as I was told. Shall we go together?"

Through the corner of his eyes, he saw the green-eyed elleth shifted awkwardly in her spot. Immidiately, Thranduil could tell what Faeryn was planning to do. She was planning to leave.

"Lady Faeryn can join us for dinner tonight. Will you, Faeryn?"

The elleth was now glaring dagger at her king, but the Elvenking only smirked.

"I don't think so, mellon. I shall leave you two be. Have a wonderful night."

Faeryn shook her head no and left, again. It pained him greatly, everytime she would just walk away so easily, so quickly, leaving nothing but a faint scent of her skin and the fading warmth where she once stood.

Everything had changed, indeed. And it was since the day he knew he was betrothed. Thranduil felt like he was betrayed. Betrayed by his father, by this entire world. He was no fool, and so that he knew the reason why Faeryn was slipping away because she saw what he was deceiving himself not to see: Aerondess sooner or later will be the rightful queen of Woodland Realm.

Thranduil glanced sideway at the awaiting princess, sighing tiredly before escorting her to the diner. Knowing how much he had tried, he could never see a future with the elleth. Perhaps, there was one, just wasn't right.