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Chapter Text

You sneaked around the kingdom, trying to be as quiet as possible. You wanted to see the dwarves that your brother had found in the woods, the ones you were forbidden from seeing. So naturally, you wanted to see them even more. You had never seen a dwarf before, your father wouldn't allow you to, and you were curious. Were they truly so short that ada told that they were? You sneaked down the stairs that you knew took you down to the dungeons, you knew that they whould be kept there. This was the perfect night to do this, everyone was up, enjoying themselves, it was the feast of starlight. You had thought it was boring so you sneaked down, knowing that there whould be no guards down tonight. You had tried this before but you couldn't sneak down without being seen, so you just had stayed higher up, listening to them talking in their gruff, and low voices. But now, you made your way down, making sure that your steps were silent. You were a little nervous, your father had warned you about them many times, not to go close them.

- - - -

Meanwhile, Thorin was sulking in his cell, cursing the elves in his head. He heard the light patter of feet, the stone made them more audible, and he got up, thinking it was one of the guards yet again.
"What do you want?" He bellowed and marched to the door, ramming his hands against it and making it rattle, only to see that the hallway was empty. He frowned and looked around, not seeing anyone.
"What are you doing, Thorin?" Balin's voice came from a few cells from the left and Thorin could swear he could hear someone snickering.
"It's nothing, I thought I heard something." He grumbled and sank back down, resting his head against the stone wall when he saw someone walking on the stone path.
"Hey!" He yelled and the figure jumped into the air and disappeared behind a corner.

- - - -

You were breathing heavily, having gotten spooked by the sudden yell. You were evening out your breath, a part of you wanting to run to your father or your brother, and let him comfort you, but most of you was too curious and you pushed the fear aside, peeking behind the corner yet again. There were so many of them, nearly all the cells were full. They were all at the gates, and they looked so ... funny. They were short, and all of them had some sort of beard. They were not fat, but they were a lot bulkier than you. You couldn't control your curiosity, you slowly inched closer. You were in the shadows, so none of them could see you, but you could see them clearly. Most of them looked quite scary, but some of them looked kind. You were so curious, your head full of questions. What did dwarf children do for fun? Was a beard itchy? Was it hard to fight when you were stocky? You just stood there, thinking about what you should do, when the same voice made you jump slightly but it didn't scare you away this time. You inched closer to the border between light and shadow, pondering what you would do.
"I can see you standing there." The voice rang yet again, and you decided to step into the light, walking so you were in front of the cell. You stared at him, his hair was dark and the beard he had was short, and his face was a little stunned. You took a tiny step forward and tilted your head, not sure what to do next, your curiosity rising. You decided to see who was in the next cell, so you shifted to see what did that dwarf look like. He had a long white beard and nearly no hair at all. You looked from one to another, they looked so different, yet somehow similar. The latter smiled and leaned to the bars.
"What are you doing here, little one?" His voice was gentle and you thought for a moment before you answered.
"I wanted to see a dwarf. Ada wouldn't let me so I came on my own." You declared and looked around.

- - - -

The small elfling was talking with Balin, having moved on from Thorin, who kept a close eye on her. She was very young, and her hair was done half up and her eyes shone as she was watching Balin's every move.
"What is your name?" The elfling didn't answer straight away but after a little while of pondering.
"Y/N." She stated simply and shifted her feet.
"What is yours?" She asked Balin, who answered her nearly instantly.
"Balin."
"That is a funny name." She giggled and Balin huffed.
"I suppose." She shifted her weight to see who was at the next cell, only to be met with Dwalin's gruff voice.
"What do you want, leave me alone." He banged the bars but the young elf didn't' even flinch, she just giggled and moved on, walking past a few cells before her steps halted.
"I like your hat." She was standing in front of Bofur's cell, then.
"Why, thank you little one." His voice was gentle, he was good with kids.
"Can I ask you a question?" She was still standing in front of Bofur's cell, who answered her, a little hesitantly, but for nothing, because the question she asked was quite sweet.
"What do dwarf children do for fun?" She was staring at Bofur with bright eyes, clearly wanting to know the answer.
"Well, they play with wooden toys and they play tag and hide and seek and other games." Bofur listed, and she huffed.
"Huh. So the same things as I do." She shrugged and pressed herself to the wall, and suddenly pushing herself off of it and jumping over the gap between the two stone paths that ran in front of the paths of the cells, landing on the other side with the agility of an elf. She jumped up to the candle holder and swung back and forth on it for a while before letting go and landing with steady feet, not wobbling at all. She turned to the dwarf that was in the cell that she was now next too.

- - - -

This cell had a young-looking dwarf in it with a light brown beard and hair.
"Can you say something in dwarvish? I would like to hear some of it, ada always says it sounds funny." The dwarf stared at me for a moment but did indeed say a sentence in dwarvish. You giggled.
"It sounds like you have a sore throat but you still want to speak." You tilted your head.
"But I kind of like it. It's different, but not as horrible as ada described it as."
"Who is this ada you talk about?" Another dwarf, this one with dark hair and the smallest of all the beards, was looking at you. He had warm, brown eyes that reminded you of your father's elk.
"Ada is my father, it's just funny to call him father when there is a shorter and more convenient word to it."
"Your father doesn't sound very pleasant," Thorin growled from his cell, and you turned to him.
"No! He is the best. But he might get a little boring sometimes, he doesn't allow me to do many of things, such as..."
"Visit the dungeons alone?" You froze at the sound of your father's voice but turned around to face him.
"Hi, ada." You greeted him with a quiet voice, knowing that he would be angry. Thranduil stared at you for a moment and the dwarves were silent, observing the situation and settling with the thought that you were the daughter of the king, the king that they hated. You were looking at the ground, not wanting to look at his face, you couldn't see the disappointment in his eyes. Suddenly, you felt hands around you as Thranduil picked you up and hugged you to his chest tightly, taking long breaths.
"Y/N, I was so worried, I was sure that a spider had eaten you." You buried your head to his chest, muttering out words as you clutched his robes in your hands.
"I'm sorry ada, I just really wanted to see the dwarves."
- - - -

"Ada, I searched everywhere, I don't understand where she..." Your brother had arrived, speaking with a nervous tone until he saw you.
"Where did you find her?" Thranduil handed you to him, and you wrapped your hands around his neck as you clung to him now.
"She was down here, talking with the dwarves," Thranduil answered, sounding a little bit displeased and you shrunk down into Legolas's chest.
"Talking with the dwarves, why whould you do that Y/N?" He asked you and you lifted your head from his chest.
"I was curious, you whould never let me go down there so I went alone. And the party was boring." Your father just huffed, and took you from Legolas, heading downstairs.
"This elloth is going to get a bath and then go straight to bed."
"Noooo!" You squealed and went totally limp in his arms and slipped off and ran back towards the cells.
"Y/N." Your father's voice was calm, but it had a slightly sharp edge to it as he looked at you.
"I am not in the mood for games." You smiled misceviously and shifted your weight from one leg to another.
"That's too bad because I am." You stormed over to the path in front of the cells.
"Y/N, please. Let's go. I'll read you a story afterward." Your brother tried, slowly inching to his left. But your mind was set, and you weren't about to change it.
"No." You stomped your leg to the ground.

The next thing you noticed was that your father was at the other end of the path, and your brother was at the other. "What to do now?" You pondered, and as they moved towards you, you allowed your shoulders to slump.
"Let's go and end this foolishness." Your father approached you and you let your head sink down.
"Okay."
But just as he was going to grab you, you jumped up as hard as you could and grabbed the edge of the path that was running above. You hoisted yourself up, and peeked over the edge, smiling yet again.
"Did you really think that I would come that easily?" You didn't wait for the answer, you got up and ran off, giggling, leaving Thranduil and Legolas shaking their heads. They made their way up after you with small smiles on their faces.

Chapter Text

You are hiding in the wine cellars, you and Legolas are playing hide and seek and it was your turn to hide. Fifth time in a row. You were very good at persuading others to get what you wanted and you had your big brother wrapped around your finger. So here you were, hiding behind a shelf that held wine and you waited for your brother to find out. You had insisted on playing one more game, as it was bathtime and you didn't want to. He wasn't going to alter his mind, so you chose the second-best strategy. Stalling.

Soon, you heard steps coming down from the stairs and you pressed yourself deeper towards the wall but the steps were too heavy to be Legolas'. There were multiple of persons walking down, so you hunched over and listened to the sounds coming down, they were spoken in haste and in a low tone.
"I can't believe it, we're in the cellars."
"You were supposed to be leading us out, not further in." The speakers sounded angry and you peeled out of your hiding place, trying to see who was talking. "The dwarves!"
They were here! How they did that, you had no idea, but they were here. You were pretty sure they weren't supposed to be, after all, even you weren't allowed to be down there, so you decided to ask.
"What are you doing here?" You stepped from behind the shelf and faced the dwarves. They jumped and turned around, but froze as they saw you.
"Y/N, what are you doing here?" Balin took a step closer, extending a hand to stop a bald dwarf from getting close to you. You didn't answer, you just tilted your head as you watched the dwarves.
"We are... Thank... Your father let us go." He spoke to you, sounding like he was in a hurry but he was trying to hide it. You frowned, the answer sounded like a lie.
"Ada let you go? And told you to come ... here?" You asked, suspicious, and the dwarves nodded.
"Yes," Balin told you, and you shook your head, knowing that he wasn't telling the truth.
"He would never do that, only a few are allowed down here. Even I am not allowed to come here." You threw your hair behind your back and shifted your weight from one leg to another.
"She made us, we have to do something or she will alert the whole kingdom." The bald dwarf spoke again in a whisper to the rest, and you took a step back as you realized that they might do something to you. You swallowed and took a step closer to the stairs, only there was someone in your way.
"I can't let you go." The dwarf that was standing in front of you had a red beard, and his voice was low, almost threatening. You glanced at the two guards that were passed out on the table, but you knew that they couldn't help you. If you tried to wake them, the dwarves would notice and possibly hurt you.
"What will we do with her? We can't let her go, she will alert everyone." The bald dwarf asked the one with silver streaks in his hear, the one your father had interrogated personally. He shook his head and glanced at you.
"We could knock her out?" The bald one suggested, and you winced at his words and took a step back so you could try and hide behind the shelves.

Your bottom lip started quivering, and you tried to stop it, but you were so scared. You wanted away from here, now.
"Be quiet, Dwalin, you are scaring her." The one with a hat hissed and glanced at you, looking worried.
"Then what do you want me to do, Bofur? You come up with an idea then, one that doesn't hurt her precious mind." The bald one, that you knew now was named Dwalin, scoffed and walked away. You felt a tear roll down on your cheek, and you wiped it away as the one with a hat walked closer.
You backed away until you back hit a wall, and another set of tears ran down your cheek as he stopped.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," Bofur spoke calmly, but you shivered lightly and pressed yourself tighter against the wall.
"I'm going to speak to you from over here, is that okay?" You stared at him, trying to see if he was lying. Another figure approached, and as you winced, it lifted it's hands up in surrender.
"I promise, no one will hurt you." He was beardless and shorter than the dwarves, and even in your terrified state, you were curious. What was he? And where had he come from? He must have noticed your expression as his face melted into a kind looking smile that helped you relax a little.
"I'm Bilbo Baggins, I am a hobbit from the Shire." He nodded to you and you fiddled with the sleeves of your dress.
"I-I didn't see you in the c-cells." You mumbled, and his smile faltered.
"Oh, I wasn't in one. I snuck in." You tilted your head, now slightly impressed.
"How did you do that?" He hesitated and glanced behind his back at the dwarves who were now climbing into the barrels.
"I am a hobbit. We are light in our feet." He lifted his leg up for you to see, and you lifted your up, comparing your small one to his, much bigger one. Bilbo smiled lightly and you relaxed a little bit as it seemed they truly didn't want to hurt you.

You giggled lightly and placed your foot down while Dwalin made his way back to you and you squeaked and pressed your back against the wall, scared.
"Bofur, Bilbo, we need to go now." They nodded and turned back to you while you lifted your gaze up and listened to the voices coming from upstairs, the guards have noticed that the dwarves are missing.
"You should hurry, they know you are out of the cells and they going to be down here soon." You muttered to Bilbo and Bofur, knowing that your father would be quite angry at them if he found them here without permission. Unfortunately, Dwalin heard you to and came barreling in.
"Are you threatening us?" He asked and slammed his hands at both sides of you, causing you to shriek and sink to the floor.
"I-I j-just heard the g-guards upstairs, t-they realized that you a-are not i-in the c-cells." You squeaked, covering your head with your hands while tears made their way down your cheeks again.
"Dwalin, stop it." You heard rustling and few thumps and angry muttering and the shadow looming over you disappeared and you lifted your head. Bofur was standing in front of you with apologetic eyes.
"Sorry about him. We really need to leave. Promise me one thing. Do not move from there until we have gone, okay?" You just nodded, and huddled into a tiny ball, wanting this to be all over. The next sound you heard was the hatch being opened and scared yelps and thumps as the barrels dropped down. You lifted your head to see all the barrels and dwarves gone, only Bilbo was standing there. You stared at him, shivering and tears running down your cheeks, and he nodded to you, speaking softly.
"Go." You didn't hesitate, you stormed up the stairs, away from the cellars.

You nearly collided into Tauriel as she was making her way down with a few guards. Before she could say or do anything, you slipped past them and ran towards the throne room. You threaded through the guards who were running in the other direction while yelling out orders. As you stormed in the throne room and saw that he wasn't there, you let out a cry and stormed away but you tripped, scraping your hands and knees in the progress. That did not make you feel any better, and you were crying twice as hard as you made it to the meeting room. You normally avoided it, knowing that ada got angry when you got in and interrupted, but you just wanted him now.

As you reached the hallway, the two guards securing blocked the door with their spears to keep you from entering but as you reached them and they saw your tear-streaked face and bloody hands, another one of them knocked on the door and pushed his head inside. Your father's annoyed voice sounded from inside.
"This better be important." The guard glanced at you and answered him.
"It is." He gestured you to get in, and you stormed past him into the small room. Your father was sitting at the end of a long table, all of the elves sitting across it were staring at you. This caused you to freeze and Thranduil sighed as he saw you enter.
"Y/N, haven't I told you that I am not to be disturbed -." He stopped talking as he saw the condition you were in, your knees and hands scraped and tears running freely down your cheeks.
"Y/N, my little lokte (blossom)! What happened to you?" He got up, knocking the chair down in the process and you stormed to him, tears streaming down your face.
"Ada!" As soon as you reached him, he picked you up and pressed you to his chest tightly as you cried into his shirt, wetting it completely.
"We will continue tomorrow." He spoke shortly to the elves around the table before turning away and making it to your room. He sat down on your bed and smoothed his hand over your back, trying to calm you as you cried your eyes out.

Your cries reduced into hiccups and you buried your head into his chest, listening to his calming heartbeat. He still smoothed his hand on your back while holding you close to his chest with the other. He reached to your pillow to grab the stuffed moose you loved. (A/N: Kinda cliche, I know! Just go with it.) He handed it to you and you hugged it tightly into your chest as you snuggled closer to Thranduil.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" He asked gently, and you sniffed and looked up to his familiar icy-blue eyes.
"I was playing hide and seek with Legolas." You sniffed again and hesitated to continue. You knew that you weren't supposed to be down at the cellars.
"Keep going, darling, you will feel better when you are finished." He encouraged, and you pressed deeper into his chest, hoping that he would not get angry.
"I hid down in the cellars because I didn't want to take a bath." He hummed lightly and ran his hand through your hair.
"Then what?" His voice was gentle as he moved you lightly so he could see your face better.
"The dwarves came down there." You felt him tense as he grabbed your hands gently and inspected them.
"Did they do this to you?" His voice was shaking from the anger he was trying to hold in.
"N-no, I tripped when I ran to find you." You whispered and he breathed out, calming down slightly. He smoothed his hands on the small wounds. They didn't bleed nearly at all but still his heart pained, it bothered him to see you hurt and so scared.

"Let's find a healer to get these cleaned up." He stood up, holding you tight, only to have you wail in his lap and try to squirm off.
"No!" He frowned and sat back down as you squeezed his robe tightly.
"Why not?" He smoothed his hand across your cheek and you sniffed as tears returned into your eyes.
"It hurts." You whined, and he wiped the tear off your face and lifted your head so you were looking at him.
"Only for a short while. The cuts will get much worse if we don't get them cleaned." He spoke gently and you nodded a little.
"You are a big girl already, you can survive a little sting." He tickled your sides lightly, and you giggled and pressed onto him.
"I can."

- - - -

After you had visited the healer, you had stopped by at the kitchens to see what they had to offer. You were now eating a piece of lembas with a thick layer of jam on it. Thranduil usually never allowed you to have jam, as it contained much sugar that caused you to jump into the walls and ceiling (literally) but today he had made an exception.
"Feeling better?" He asked as he finished the report he had been writing and looked at you. You had calmed down and you were sitting on a bench, swinging your legs and looking out a window into the forest.
"Yes, ada." You chomped down the last piece of your bread and smiled at him as he sat down next to you and moved your hair off your face. You yawned and he pressed a small kiss on your temple.
"I think it's time for you to go to bed, little one." He stood up so he could sweep you up into his arms but before he could do that, a knock sounded from the door.

Legolas stepped in and you squealed and ran to him, wrapping your arms around him tightly and squeezed hard. He lifted you up and spun you in a circle, causing you to giggle wildly. Thranduil shot Legolas a warning look but he ignored it and threw you into the air, causing you to shriek in delight. He grabbed you and threw you again, and you giggled wildly as you returned to his arms. Thranduil clicked his tongue and both of you turned to him, you still giggling.
"She was ready to bed before you got her all riled up again." He sounded slightly annoyed, but Legolas didn't flinch as he placed you down on the floor.
"I thought she needed a little cheering up. I heard she had a rough day." Thranduil stared at him for a moment before he returned to his papers, stacking them up neatly. You yawned again and pulled Legolas's sleeve, making him turn to look down on you from your father.

"Will you read me a story?" You preferred Legolas to read you a story. Not that your father was bad at it, but Legolas did all kinds of funny voices for the characters and you loved it. He shook his head and your shoulders slumped, and he ran his hand in your hair.
"Sorry, Y/N. I have to go on extra patrol tonight." You nodded but still looked down, it had been a while since he had read you a story.
"Don't worry Y/N, I will read you one." Thranduil looked up from his papers and you glanced at him, smiling before turning back to your brother.
"I'll see you tomorrow, seler'. Good night." (sister)
"Good night, toror'." (brother) You waved at him, and he left the room after nodding to Thranduil. You ran on the bench and grabbed your elk off of it, squeezing it tight into your chest. Next, you ran to your father and you tugged at his sleeve.
"Let's go ada."

- - - -

"And then the elven prince rode his horse into the sunset and they lived happily ever after. The end." Thranduil finished, closing the book and placing it on the table next to your bed. You yawned and smiled at him before placing your elk on top of his head. You giggled as its legs hung off from the sides of his head. He lent down to kiss you on the forehead and your elk fell down from his head and he grabbed it and handed it to you. He blew the candles out as you squeezed the elk into your chest in addition for the other animals you already had; a fox, a wolf, and an owl. Tauriel had made them for you and you loved all of them, but the elk was by far your favorite.
"Good night, little lokte." (blossom) He kissed your cheek one last time and you held the elk up for a kiss too. You looked at him with begging eyes and he kissed it as well, causing you to smile. as you snuggled it tightly into your chest.
"Good night ada." You yawned and squeezed the elk tightly into your chest as you closed your eyes. Thranduil tiptoed to the door and closed it but couldn't fight the urge to peek in one last time. You were already sound asleep and Thranduil smiled as he pulled away from the door and closed it as quietly as he could.

Chapter Text

Your tears streamed down your cheeks, every dark shadow sending shriller of fear through you. A spider had sneaked up on you, and you had frozen. You didn't know why it didn't eat you then and there, but when it had attached and its pincers pierced your leg, you had fallen from the tree. You ran away, not looking back, wanting to get away.

Your legs finally gave up from under you and you slumped into the roots of an old oak. There were no spiderwebs near, and you were thankful for that, but you had no idea where you were. You had come to the forest in the hope that you could find food here, like mushrooms and berries, but you had nearly ended up as food yourself instead. Now you were lost and scared, your feet hurting so bad that you started to cry, the small sobs heaving your body as you tried to stifle them in n the fear of being found.

You heard the heavy footsteps on the ground, and you stilled, burying your head into your knees, slowing down your breathing. You didn't want whatever it was to notice you, you were so tired that you had no strength to fight. But when you felt a soft muzzle touch you with a warm breath of air, you slowly lifted your head from your knees.

It was an elk, but unlike you had ever seen before. It was larger and its antlers were much wider than you had ever seen before. You reached a hand forward, and it pressed its silky muzzle against your hand, and you released a strangled giggle as you let your hand slid on the snout of the animal. You nuzzled closer to its head, enjoying the small amount of warmth it provided. It had a bridle on, so it belonged to someone, the fact bringing you comfort. At least there was someone else in the forest.
"What's your name?" You whispered, petting its large head gently.
"I'm Y/N and I'm lost." The animal didn't answer, just watching you with big, gentle eyes.

After a while, the animal lifted its head in the air, ears twitching. It gave a huff and pushed you with its head before pulling away. You let out a whine as it started to walk away, hooves silent on the soft forest floor.
"Don't go!" You scampered to your feet but collapsed with a pained cry when your legs gave out, the throbbing pain returning. When it heard your cry of pain, it stopped and returned to you. You squeaked as it pressed its knee onto the ground, lowering itself and you hesitantly hoisted yourself up into the saddle, clinging to the reins. As it started to thread through the forest, you tried to keep your eyes open for the path, but the stable steps of the animal lulled your exhausted body into a deep slumber as it continued its way across the forest.

- -

To say that Thranduil was surprised when he saw his elk carrying a small elven child was an understatement, especially after seeing the condition the child was in. Her hair was matted, the bottom of her feet was bleeding, a large gash on her left ankle. Her form incredibly tiny compared to her estimated age.
"Where did you find her, Arata*?" The animal huffed, shaking his horned head, and allowed his rider to pick the small elleth from his back. The girl weighed nearly nothing, and Thranduil wrapped her in his cloak gently when he saw she was shaking. Handing the reins to a stable boy, he hurried inside the kingdom.

When you woke up, you were warm and you snuggled deeper into whatever it was. Thranduil glanced down and decided to take you to his room, having the healer look at you while you were there. A guard was sent to fetch one, and Thranduil placed you onto his bed gently when you started to wake up. You blinked your eyes, confused by the warm light and the soft surface beneath you.

You lifted your head and met someone's eyes. You scooted back, not knowing what they wanted, but they didn't seem mean. They placed a basket of fruit in front of you, and you hesitantly picked up a fruit you had never seen. The skin was soft before and you devoured it without a thought. It was so sweet that a small smile spread to your lips, and it was gone quickly.
"What fruit was that?" You asked, licking your lips and fingers, hoping to get all of the sweet juice off of them.
"A peach. You haven't eaten one before?" You shook your head, peeking at him behind your hair.
"I haven't seen one before." There were so many left, and you wanted another, but you didn't want to take so many that he didn't have any for him.

Thranduil saw you glancing at the basket, and pushed it toward you.
"Have another." You reach forward hesitantly but pick it up, petting the soft coat of the fruit.
"But then there isn't any left for you." You tried handing the peach to him, but he shook his head, a small smile appearing to his lips as he gently pushed your hand back toward you.
"You can eat it, little one, I will find something else if I get hungry." You didn't need to tell again and your teeth but into the fruit.

Thranduil watched you, curious, a small warmth in his heart. You had been so worried about eating the last peach, it was adorable. He didn't know what it was in you that drew you in, but you were so charming and sweet that he couldn't help it, you were growing on him. Even after he had just met you.
"My name is not little one, it's Y/N." You corrected him when the second peach had been devoured, only the stone left.
"Nice to meet you Y/N. My name is Thranduil." He gave you a hand to shake, and you shook it with your less sticky one.

The healer had come in shortly afterward and had declared you otherwise healthy but you were definitely underweight. She had also applied some paste onto your wound to help it heal, and you had given her a big smile as a thank you. Now you were playing with some of Legolas' old toys, and Thranduil was conversing with the healer.
"She won't be leaving your side any time soon, I take it?" Thranduil gave the healer a wide-eyed look, making her release a chuckle.
"It isn't hard to see she has you entranced." She pointed out but continued with a gentler tone. "It isn't a bad thing." Thranduil sighed and turned to look at you, playing gently with the toys, setting the small wooden horses into a neat row.
"It has been a while since I have taken care of an elfling but I remember enough." He assured the healer who hid her smile when she saw the way the king was smiling. He was completely entranced by the little elleth, who, after who knows what happened to her, was still so polite and trusting.

- -

It had been two weeks, and you had adjusted incredibly well. Thranduil was entranced by you, you had him wrapped around your little finger, and the kingdom adored you, not wasting a moment to start calling you 'Princess Y/N'. The servants were always happy to play hide and seek with you, and Thranduil allowed it, knowing how happy it made you. The kitchen staff scoured through the records to find all the peach recipes they could find, and you were treated with one sweet treat every day and your weight was normalizing quickly.

When Legolas returned from a trip to Rivendell, he was surprised when he stepped into the throne hall and a giggling bur ran past him, with three guards on its heels, he stilled.
"Princess Y/N, please. The seamstress is waiting." Two guards tried to surround the blur, who turned out to be a small elleth, but failed and ended up colliding with each other as they made a charge for her. The little elleth giggled wildly as the guards tried to lift themselves from the heap, and Legolas couldn't help smiling as the guards groaned as they stood up.
"Y/N, shouldn't you be at your sewing lesson?" Thranduil appeared in the doorway, making you zip to his legs immediately, your hands tightly wound in his pant leg.
"You promised we would go see Arata after midday." Thranduil let out a laugh. The Sun had barely shifted from its highest position in the sky, but to you, it was past midday and you wanted to meet Arata. Now.
"But it's time for your sewing lesson." You whined, crossing your arms but didn't want to argue.

Thranduil sensed your mood and tried steering it elsewhere.
"This is Legolas, the elf I told you about. He's my son." You tilted your head to meet a pair of curious blue eyes peering down at you, and
"So he's like my older brother." Thranduil felt like his throat was clogged at your acknowledgment that you thought of him as a father.
"Y-Yes, I suppose he is."
"I've always wanted a brother." You squealed and headed for Legolas' legs but you were swept off yours before you could.
"You finish your sewing lesson and I will take you to meet Arata, I promise?" You pouted but nodded and followed the guards to the seamstress' room. Legolas gave Thranduil a look that clearly read 'what-happened-I-wasn't-gone-that-long' -look, and the king sighed and gestured him to follow.

- -

"Oh, hello Legolas. You've returned." Tauriel greeted him, sharpening her sword.
"How was your journey?" Legolas huffed, hanging up his bow. He had hoped for a fight with a band of orcs, or something to snap him out of the dulling routine, but the journey had been uneventful, to his great disappointment.
"Dull." The prince answered, placing his knives where they belonged.
"Although I did learn that the kingdom has a little princess." Tauriel's face spread into a warm smile.
"Oh, so you have met Y/N? Isn't she the sweetest?" She asked, smiling warmly.
"She is lovely yes. My father is entranced."
"That she is. Here." She handed him a handful of stuffed animals, and he raised a brow.
"Do you think she'll like them? I am not the best sewer there is, but I tried my best." Legolas picked up the little elk, its legs hanging from its body limply.
"I know she'll love them."
"Good, you can take it to her."
"Legolas, she is here to stay and she will be your sister. It might be good if you took them to her, give her a positive image of you." Legolas gave her a look but took an elk out of the pile.
"I'll take her this first. From what I heard, she loves Arata and will love this too."

Legolas found you and his father in the bedroom that had been appointed to yours, across the hall from Legolas' and right beside Thranduil's.
"Tauriel sent you this," Legolas handed the sown elk over, and you gasped, taking it into your hands, eyes shimmering, hugging it tightly to your chest.
"He's the cutest! I'm going to call him Peaches, because he's so soft." Your eyes were shining with such joy that Legolas felt like his heart shifted a little inside of him.
"That is a good name. Very good for an elk." Legolas felt a smile tugging at his lips when you continued petting your new toy.

Then, you seemed to realize something and zipped forward, colliding with his legs.
"Thank you, you are the bestest big brother ever!" You squealed as you squeezed Legolas' legs as hard as you could, and he started to understand why his father had grown attached to you so quickly. You stuck yourself to one's heart and never let go. And Legolas didn't want you to let go. And judging by the soft look on Thranduil's face neither did he. You were definitely there to stay.

Chapter Text

You knew that you were not supposed to go to the forest and especially not alone, but you had wanted to show Peaches what was in there. You had thought that you had been right beside the kingdom gates, but when the spiderwebs started to appear, you realized that you were much farther from the kingdom than you had thought. You had tried making your way back, but it was getting dark and you couldn't clearly see your footprints on the dry and hard soil, so panic was slowly setting in. Your memories of what had almost happened the last time you had been alone in the woods weren't helping with your fear. But you chose the way you were almost certain you had come from and slowly started to walk there, taking extra care to keep your footsteps silent, not wanting to draw any attention. You squeezed Peaches tightly to your chest, petting his soft head gently.
"We'll be home soon, don't worry."

Your journey was unfortunately interrupted by a spider, and this time, you didn't waste a second and sprinted away, keeping in mind what Legolas had said.
"The spiders are not as agile as you, head for the undergrowth, they won't have room to move as quickly." That was exactly what you did, sprinting towards the bramble bush on your left, your legs carrying you faster than you had ever run before. You dove headfirst into the bush, a few spikes catching your cheeks and clothing, but you didn't even notice. You crawled deeper into the bush, squeezing Peaches harder, not wanting to lose him. You settled next to a trunk of a tree, the bush above you so thick that it was hard to see the darkening sky.

The spider hadn't given up, you could hear it pacing around your hiding place, sometimes trying to poke a leg or a pincer through the thick bush, in an effort to reach you. Every crack and rustle it made sent a thrill of fear through your spine, and you wiped your nose to your sleeve, not wanting to make a noise. Tears slid down your cheeks, and you wiped them away quietly, hoping that if you were absolutely quiet they would forget you and go away. Luckily, it didn't get anywhere near you as the bush around you was so thick and so filled with thorns that even the spider couldn't force its way trough without tearing its limbs and body apart.

You curled on the roots of the old oak, shuffling your clothing so it would cover as much of your body as possible. The setting sun was taking the warmth of the day with it, and your thin clothing wasn't doing much to shield the cold away from your skin. The spider still hadn't given up, it was still trying to force its large carcass inside, but there was no way it would fit. The branches of the tree were entangled in with the brambles and they provided you with a sturdier shelter, one that the spider couldn't crush or force itself through. But you were still just as afraid as before, the 'what if's rolling around in your head. Your hands were still holding Peaches tightly, the soft fabric giving you only slight comfort in the darkening evening.

You squeaked as the barbed leg of the spider suddenly pierced the roof of your hiding place. It was immediately pulled back with a spluttering hiss, a few drops of dark and sticky blood landing on your arm. Cool night air flooded into your relatively sheltered hiding place, causing you to shiver. The leg returned and you shuffled away from it to the other side of the small space as it groped around, trying to find leverage. The tip of it brushed your leg, one of the barbs cutting a small shallow wound to it. A whine of pain escaped your mouth, you couldn't help it. The spider gave a splutter, probably excited as it had found you, but before it could drag you out of your hiding place, the leg disappeared.

A shuffling sound reached your ears, the angry splutter of the spider making hope rise in your chest. You hadn't heard them make those sounds other than when they felt threatened. Your suspicions of there being someone else out there were confirmed when a deep, rumbling voice sounded.
"Cursed spiders." You could hear the air whooshing as something heavy was swung around, the spider screeching in apparent pain. You could feel it's eight legs pounding against the ground as it tried to get away, but it was no use. There was a sickening crack and the area settled into silence again. The voice spoke again, this time calmer as a squelching sound filled the air, a loud thud following soon after.

You didn't move until you could hear footsteps that were heading away from your hiding spot. You scurried to the spot you had used to dive in the bush and peeked out.
"Wait!" You squeaked at the back of the huge man, fighting to get the thorns to let go of your clothes so you could crawl out. The man yanked himself around, his huge ax raised, and you let out a squeak and pulled back into the safety of the bush.

Beorn was confused. What was a child doing out here, so far away from the kingdom? He knelt down on the small opening he had seen you disappear into.
"Come out, kid, I won't hurt you." You frowned at his words.
"I'm not a goat." Beorn's brow frowned. What on earth were you going on about?
"What?"
"Kid is a baby goat. I'm not a goat. I'm an elf." You peeked out of the bush again, seeing a fleeting smile on his face as he chuckled. He had forgotten how bright little elven children were, even when they were young. It had been a long since he had met one.
"Alright. We better get going, 'not-goat', I'm guessing someone is missing you back at the kingdom." You frowned at his words.
"My name is Y/N." He gave only a hum as a response, gesturing with the hilt of his hammer which way to go.

The journey back to the kingdom was shifted. Even though everything looked foreign in the cold light of the moon. You had to take four steps for every one of Beorn's to keep up with him, but you didn't seem to mind. You stayed close to him, glancing around, clearly expecting something to jump out of the bushes. Every crack and shift of shadow made you walk closer to him, and he almost tripped on you numerous times as the journey continued, but he didn't say anything. He just took care of where to place his feet, he didn't want to pummel you to the ground. You kept talking about everything and anything, from your favorite pastries to the fact that you hated your needlepoint lessons. Beorn was on high alert for any enemies that might lurk in the forest, thinking that your constant chatter could bring them closer, even if he knew that none of them weren't stupid enough to try and attach you while you were with him.

The forest was pitch black as you finally reached the gates. Fires were burning on the sides of the gates, a familiar figure standing there, surrounded by twelve guards.
"Leggy!" You squeaked and ran to him. Relief washed over his face when he saw you sprinting towards him, and he didn't waste a moment to scoop you up when you reached him. He squeezed you tightly against his chest, his other hand at the back of your head.
"Y/N, how many times we have to tell you, you cannot go into the forest alone? There are spiders there!" Your brother scolded you gently, and you pressed your head against his chest, ashamed and tired.
"I know." You muttered, glancing at your leg. Legolas caught your line of sight and saw the wound there. It wasn't deep and had already started bleeding, and he knew that wiping it with a few athelas would sort it out right out.

"I cannot thank you enough for returning her here, the whole kingdom has been looking all over for her." Legolas had turned his attention back to Beorn, who gave a small shake of his head.
"No problem, I didn't want her to be eaten by a spider." He huffed, eyeing your figure in Legolas' arms. Your head was resting on your brother's chest, and your eyelids were drooping.
"But I take it you aren't here just to return my sister home?" Legolas asked, eyeing the skin-changer. He was carrying a backpack, that was by the looks of it, empty.
"Not indeed. I came to get a few new arrows, need 'em for hunting." Legolas nodded and gestured for him to follow a guard.
"I will be there shortly, I'll just take her to bed." A small smile visited Beorn's lips again he glanced at your now sleeping figure.
"No hurry."

- - -

Thranduil's legs shook with relief as he opened the door of your room and saw you sleeping on your bed, just like Legolas had said. There was a white bandage on your leg, but you seemed peaceful, your stuffed animals, including Peaches, surrounding you. You looked so peaceful as he snuck inside the room, sitting down at the edge of your bed to watch you for a moment.
"Hi, ada." You greeted, your eyes opening slightly, still drooping and hazy of your interrupted sleep.
"I'm sorry." Thranduil sighed, knowing he should scold you for leaving the kingdom without telling anyone where you were going. But as he opened your mouth to do so, he met your eyes, sleepy and half-lidded, and he smiled.
"Sleep now, sweetness, we'll talk tomorrow." He sighed heavily, running his hand on your head as he tugged the blankets better over you. He could wait until tomorrow. Now, it would be for the best to let you sleep.

Chapter Text

A bright, horrified screech echoed through the kingdom, and it sent an armada of guards as well as your brother and father running to your room. Thranduil had the time to come up with every horror scenario, from giant spiders to orcs in his mind as they ran across the kingdom. They were only halfway there when he had fully convinced himself about the fact that you would be gravely injured when they got there, despite the fact that he knew that the kingdom was safe and that your room was in the most secure part of it.

They burst in through the door, ready to fight whatever threat, when they took a look around the room, you were alone. To Thranduil's great relief, you were unhurt, but the sight of you crying bothered him. He hurried to sit next to you on the bed, and as he sat down, he gestured that the guards could leave the room. Legolas followed them, but remained on the other side of the door, closing it behind him. He wanted to know what was bothering you so much and if was there anything that he could do to help.
"What is wrong, my sweetness?" Thranduil asked as he picked you up and lifted you to his lap, but your sobs were too heavy for you to be able to answer. Your breath was heaving and your face was red with tears, adding to Thranduil's rising unease.
"Y/N?" He asked again, running his hand through your hair gently, trying to calm you down. You leaned against his chest, trying to form words but your sobs prevented them again as you burrowed deeper into his chest. You fiddled with the hem of your dress, bunching it up in your hands and straightening it up again, leaving the fabric wrinkled.

It took Thranduil a long while to calm you down, but once he did, he was determined to find out what had upset you so much.
"Y/N? Can you tell me now what's bothering you so?" He asked gently, his hand sliding on your back. Tears flooded your eyes again, a few sliding down your cheeks as you finally managed to sob out an answer.
"P-Peaches is missing. I can't find him anywhere." Thranduil released a small sigh, wiping the tears off your face with a handkerchief, handing it to you so you could blow your nose.
"When did you see him last?" You shrugged heavily, looking around at your bed. Usually, Peaches was right at your side when you slept, but now he was nowhere to be seen. You had gotten tired last night when you had been sleeping in the kingdom, and you had fallen asleep immediately when you had reached the bed. You hadn't even noticed Peaches was missing, and it bothered you even more. You felt like you had betrayed your little friend, leaving him to spend the night alone and scared, outside of your bed.
"I-I don't know, he wasn't here when I woke up." You muttered, wiping your cheeks with the handkerchief, now bunching it up in your hand, giving the hem of your dress a rest.

Outside the now calm atmosphere of your room, the kingdom was being turned upside down. All the guards in the kingdom were alerted to look for the elk, and they moved in large groups, heading into rooms to search them. The servants made sure to keep an eye open while they cleaned and cooked. Legolas set on finding the elk inside the kingdom.

Thranduil couldn't help the sadness that sneaked into his heart as he watched you run around the room, checking and re-checking every crook and crevice again and again. Tears were brimming in your eyes as you raced across the room, and as you bent down to check under the bed for the seventh time, he picked you up and sat down on the bed next to him.
"I am quite sure that Peaches is not in this room." You sniffed at his words, wiping the tear that escaped from your sleeve.
"Don't you worry, lokte (blossom), I'm sure they will find it soon and when they do, they will hurry back here." Thranduil tried to console you the best he could, but he could see his words weren't having much of an effect on you. He sighed and stood up from his spot, walking to your closet to grab you a jacket.
"How about we go see Arata?" Your eyes brightened slightly at the mention of your father's elk, and you jumped off the bed, nodding wildly, a small smile visiting your lips.

The journey to Arata's stables took thrice as long as it normally would, as you insisted on checking behind every pillar and column in the kingdom, raking through the pots of the plants that grew inside the kingdom. Thranduil waited patiently as you inspected every inch of a huge planter, having to stand on your toes to see inside.

- - -

Legolas was the one to find Peaches. The little elk was laying on the floor in the kitchens, in a darkened, secluded corner no one had thought to check. You weren't allowed into the kitchens without someone watching you, but Legolas knew you well enough to know that you had a habit of walking in for a peach or two. The servants, of course, knew of this, and therefore always left the fruit basket as far away from the stoves as possible, so you wouldn't get hurt in your escapades.

He slipped into the dim light of the stables, finding you and Thranduil standing next to Arata???. You were hoisted up in Thranduil's arms so you could reach the giant elk, an apple in your hands as you offered it to him. The animal was pleased with a treat and ate the apple gladly before he returned to his hay, knowing to watch his legs as Thranduil set you down.

Legolas cleared his throat and pulled Peaches from behind his back, and you squeaked, running to your older brother. Your other hand wrapped tightly around Peaches and the other around Legolas, giving both of them a tight hug.
"Where did you find him?" You asked, beaming, tears brimming in your eyes again, squeezing the elk tightly.
"In the kitchens." He answered truthfully, and you let out a small, nervous giggle as your father turned to you with a disapproving look.
"Y/N, you are not allowed in the kitchens." You nodded slightly, hiding your face behind Peaches, knowing full well that you were not allowed down there.
"I know, ada. But I never go near the stoves or pots, I promise. I only take one or two peaches, and the servants are there, they wouldn't let me get close to the stoves." Thranduil sighed, rubbing his forehead. You were sometimes too smart for your own good. He feared that you might step into a situation you could not escape from.

The worry must have shown in his eyes, as you spoke, patting his shoulder with your small hand.
"I'm not a baby anymore, ada, I know how to be careful." Your brows were furrowed as you stared at your father, and he let out a soft laugh.
"I know you are not, but that doesn't mean I can stop worrying. You are my little one after all." He kissed your cheek, his breath tickling your neck.
"Stop it, ada, that tickles." You giggled, shifting in his lap. Thranduil smiled, moving his fingers to your sides.
"Oh? Well, is this any better?" He asked, tickling you from your sides, making you squirm in his arms.
"Noooo!" You screeched in the middle of giggles, twisting your body to get him to stop.
"Adaaa!" You complained, and he stopped, still smiling.

You went limp in his arms, slipping down from his arms and running away, slipping under the legs of Arata and to the other side of the elk. The animal just turned an ear to follow where you were going, but otherwise, he stayed perfectly still, continuing to eat the food that had just been brought to him. Thranduil couldn't see you for a while and grew slightly nervous, but relaxed as you appeared on Arata's back, heaving yourself up onto the tall animal with the help of a wall.
Thranduil arched a brow but he couldn't mask the smile spreading to his lips. You leaned against Arata's neck gently as you giggled, Peaches hanging from your other hand. The father and son looked at each other as you smiled, still sitting on the elk's back, smiling brightly. They were a little worried that you might fall off, but neither of them wanted to ask you to come down. You were happy again, and after today, it was enough for Thranduil and Legolas.

Chapter Text

You walked very carefully behind your father, focusing on not tripping on the hem of your gown. You never liked wearing them, but your father insisted, you were a princess after all. You spotted Tauriel in the crowd of dwarves and you wanted to run to her. What stopped was your father's request that you stay close to him. You had given him a pinky promise, so you stayed put. The hall was lined with dwarves, some standing in the shade, some armed with so many weapons that you wondered how they did not tip over by their weight of them. The looks on some of their faces made you shrink back into yourself, and you shifted back against your father, shivering. You didn't understand why they looked too mean, but you definitely didn't have the courage to ask, at least not now.

You almost tripped as you realized your father had stopped walking, and you had to grab onto the hem of his jacket to stay upright. When you saw the dwarves standing on the stand above you, next to the huge stony throne, you partly hid under your father's coat, feeling the stares on your skin.
"I greet you, Thorin, son of Thrain, king under the mountain." Your father's voice had something in it that you couldn't quite recognize, but as you remembered what your father had told you to do after he introduced himself, you gave a small curtsey. Your father started speaking with the king, but your attention quickly drifted away, not having any interest in politics at your age.

You only now dared to lift your eyes up to see the dwarves that were surrounding the hall to take a closer look at them. A large smile spread onto your face when you recognized some of them. Balin was easy to remember, his silvery white beard shining in the low light. Next to him were the two younger dwarves. You couldn't remember their names, but you remembered that they had been nice to you. The brightness of your smile faltered slightly when you recognized the scary dwarf next to Balin. You didn't want to show your fear, so you turned your head to the right, taking in the dwarves standing there.

When the situation relaxed and the formalities were over, Tauriel approached her king, but couldn't get too close when a small figure darted away from his legs and flew towards the elleth. She kneeled on the ground as you collided with her chest, hugging her tightly with your little arms.
"I missed you so much." Tauriel felt her heart melting, squeezing you tightly in her arms, Peaches hanging from your other hand. She had missed you greatly. You had always been treated as the sister you never had, and you had a spot in her heart that would be impossible to erase. You were there to stay.
"I missed you too, little one."
"Peach missed you as well." You brought the slightly worn elk from behind your back, holding it out to her, and she laughed, petting its head as you gave her a pegging look. It was well known in the kingdom of Mirkwood that if you held your elk up, the elf better pet it, no matter what they were in the middle of.
"I'm sure he did." Tauriel let out a small laugh as you turned your head around so quickly that your hair flew in the air, asking her so many questions that she had to remind you to breathe in the middle of them.

- - -

Dìs couldn't help the heartbreak that filled her chest when she saw the small elleth sniffling at the base of the stairs.
"Oh you poor lamb, what happened to you?" She asked, approaching slowly.
"I tripped on the hem of my dress." Wiping your eyes, you sniffled quietly, squeezing Peaches closer to your chest.
"I always trip, but now ada wasn't here to catch me. I didn't notice the stairs were there, and..." Your voice was sad as you tugged at the hem of your dress with a grumpy look on your face, trailing off, twisting one of Peaches' legs in your hands.
"Let's get you up, it's no good for you to sit on the cold floor." As she extended a hand to you, you grabbed it, allowing yourself to be helped up.
"What is your name?" She asked, keeping her voice gentle.
"Y/N." Your voice was gathering more volume and strength, which Dís deemed a good thing.
"Nice to meet you, Y/N. My name is Dís." You shook the hand still in your hand gently, and she smiled.

Dís brushed your gown with her hands a couple of times to dust off the slight layer of dirt that had stuck to it from the ground, she took a good look at you. You were, like all your kin, built thin, your arms and legs long and elegant. Your hair was long, resting partly in a delicate braid against your head. Your dress was the lightest of green, some layers shining in yellow as the yellowish light of the torches caught them.
"If you lift your head up and turn your shoulder's back, you won't trip as easily." You glanced at her, brow slightly furrowed but did as she had instructed, taking a few steps. The hem didn't catch under your feet like it usually did, and you gave her a bright smile as a thank you.

Your expression shifted into a thoughtful look for a moment. Dís raised an eyebrow towards you but didn't say anything as it was clear that you were deep in thought.
"Does your beard itch?" You asked, tilting your head. Dís smiled, shaking her head, the dozens of beads and jewels in her attire and hair glimmering, making tiny, bright sounds as they hit each other.
"No, if you take good care of it."
"Well, yours looks very well taken care of." You chirped happily, swaying from your heels to your toes.
"Thank you." She smiled at your compliment, brushing her hair behind her shoulder as she looked you over. You appeared to be okay, the skin slightly peeled at your palms but it didn't seem to bother you, so she didn't mention it. She had learned that children usually had a problem with their injuries when the parents pointed them out.
"You didn't skin your knees when you fell?" You shook your head, tugging at the hem of your dress.
"No. The hem is so sooo poofy, it stopped my fall." You assured herm fiddling with a gem that was sewn into the fabric of the dress, the silvery color popping every time light hit it. You darted after her as she started to make her way towards one of the hallways, determined. You hurried after her, as you didn't want to get lost again.

You smiled as you saw Fili running towards the two of you. You still couldn't remember his name, but you remember him as the one that had spoken a few phrases of dwarvish when you had asked. So you liked him.
"Here you are, amad, I have been looking everywhere for you. The Mirkwood princess is missing, everyone is looking for-" Dis cut her son off, clicking her tongue.
"Does the princess look something like this?" Fili's shoulders slumped in relief as he saw you standing behind his mother as she stepped to the side. He ran his hand through his hair to tame it as it was messed up, probably from all the running he had been doing all around the kingdom.
"Of thank Durin. I was sure Thranduil was going to wage a war if she was not found. I could take her back-" Yet again, Dís interrupted.
"I will escort her, you can go inform her family that she has been found and that she is on her way to the meeting hall. Fili stared at the two of you for a moment but quickly left to deliver the message, partly fueled by the fiery look he received from his mother.

- -

When you arrived back to the meeting hall, Thranduil wasted no time scooping you up, lifting you to his chest. After he looked you over quickly he started scolding you, the blue of his eyes a shade colder than normal.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop wandering off?" You shrunk against his chest but still held your head up.
"I just wanted to see the forges and the melted gold," you muttered, wiggling so he would let you down. He looked like you had grown an extra head, setting you down onto your feet.
"Melted gold? Sweetness, that's hot." You lifted your eyes to him.
"I know melted gold is hot, I'm not stupid." You stated matter-of-factly, crossing your arms over your chest, stomping your foot stubbornly. You could swear you saw a small smile trace Dis' lips as you glanced at her, before returning your eyes to your father, who didn't look very pleased.
"Shall we take this to the meeting room? I believe we still have plenty of things to discuss." Thranduil knew that it was useless to dwell on the matter any longer, you were incredibly stubborn, and despite his fears, perfectly alright. And that was enough, at least for now. He really needed to have a serious talk with you about wandering off.

Chapter Text

Sunlight filtered through the small gaps in the closed curtains, painting patterns of light into the stony walls of the king's bedroom. One of the rays hit Thranduil straight in the face, and he squinted his eyes as he was forced to open them. He frowned as he rose from his bed, looking around the room. You weren't there, like you usually were, either giggling next to him in the bed after you had jumped on his side, or hiding behind the closed curtains, waiting for him to wake up so you could jump up and scare him. But the absolute silence he was met with worried him. You were usually up and about as the first rays of the sun had climbed across the horizon. He dressed quickly and excited his room before any of his advisers or council members could burst through the doors and demand answers on dozens of little details he had no patience in the morning.

When he entered your room, you were buried under the blankets. At first, he thought you were just playing and planning on scaring him, but when you weren't giggling like you usually were, worry rose in his chest. He stepped closer, sitting at the edge of your bed.
"Y/N?" He called, and you answered with a whine, shifting slightly under the blankets.
"What's wrong?" Your father asked, and you hesitated for a moment before you slipped out from under the covers. Your eyes were rimmed with red, tearstains streaking down your cheeks as you sniffed your nose.
"My dose is ruddig and by head hurts." You complained, voice small and feeble and his frown deepened. It was a common misconception that elves couldn't get sick. It was true for grown elves, but elflings were different.
"Oh, darling." He cooed, lifting the blankets higher around you as he saw the way you were shivering, your teeth chattering slightly.
"I'll send for a healer if they had some herbs that will make you feel better." Your face scrunched up and you tried to hide under the blankets as you shook your head violently.
"I'm dot takig any herbs, they taste horribLE-" You started couching violently as you tried to finish your sentence with a shout. You had tried to cross your arms over your chest to make a point, but they flew to your mouth as the cough took over. Thranduil's heart clenched as he saw you struggle for breath, as the couching fit seemed to refuse to let go.

When it finally did, you whined as your throat throbbed, shaking as a cold wave rushed over you. Thranduil stood up from the edge of the bed, and you grabbed his hand before he could move away.
"Dod't go, ada, please." You whispered, and he shook his head immediately, moving some of your hair behind your ears as it had fallen to your face.
"I'm not going anywhere, I'll just get you another blanket from the closet." He assured you quickly, and you slumped back to bed with a weak nod as you watched him cross the room. He pulled every single one out of the cabinet, along with a few extra pillows, knowing that it would be easier for you to sleep if your head was elevated with a pillow or two to ease the stuffiness of your nose.

As he returned, he wrapped a few of them around you, tears leaking out of your eyes as you buried yourself deeper into your blankets, Peaches held tightly against your chest.
"It hurts, ada." Your eyes were barely visible to him from the small opening you had left into the blanket as you looked up at him. You were completely cocooned into the fabric, and if it hadn't been for the fact that you were crying, Thranduil would have thought you looked adorable. You still did, but the fresh tears leaking out of your eyes broke his heart and he wiped them off with his thumb, only for them to be replaced with fresh ones.
"I know, my sweet, I'm sorry." He ran his hand in your hair, hoping to soothe you, propping up your pillows to make breathing easier for you. You snuggled deep into your bed as a coughing fit took over again. Peaches was tucked tight under your arm, your other stuffed animals sitting in a neat row at the edge of your bed. You were still shivering even if you were buried under a mound of blankets.

Thranduil ran a hand across the blankets over the spot he assumed your back was on. He wasn't sure if you could even feel his touch under so many layers, but he just wanted to make sure you knew that he was there. A few guards and advisors entered the room, first speaking with full volume but after receiving a harsh glare and a gesture in your direction, their voices dropped so they were barely audible. Thranduil dismissed them quickly, sending them in search for Legolas as he remained seated next to your cocooned form. All the coughing had worn you out, and you drifted off to sleep as Thranduil continued to watch over you, now humming gently.

- - -

When you woke, you felt worse, if it was possible. Your throat was so sore that you thought you couldn't talk, and the itch in your throat was worse. The headache that had been such an inkling in the morning had turned into a pain that seemed to be hammering the inside of your skull, and you hid under the blankets to keep the bright sunlight away from your eyes. It did little to help, but it was better than nothing. You started coughing, and every cough sent a flash of pain through your head.

When your father entered the room, he hurried back next to you, realizing you were awake again. He stepped out for a moment to get you some tea and medicine for when you woke, but it had been much sooner than he had thought. It had pained him to hear the coughs racking through your body even if you were asleep, knowing there was nothing he could. He slid his hand on the shivering lump under the covers, cooing gently.
"What's wrong?" You lifted your hands to your face, covering your eyes.
"It's too bright, ada, it hurts." You mumbled, rubbing your hands over your eyes. Thranduil stood immediately and went to pull the curtains over the windows. As you saw the light disappear from behind your closed eyes, you had the courage to slowly crack them open.
"Is that better?" His voice sounded from the other side of the room, and it coaxed you out from your hiding place. When there wasn't a stabbing pain, you hesitantly crawled out from under the covers and were greeted by the room that was plunged in darkness.
"Yes." You answered, but the pain erupting in your throat made you wince, and you raised a hand to rub it, hoping that it would ease the pain. It didn't and you looked at your father with pleading eyes, slightly squinted from the pain.

It was so hard for Thranduil to see you like this. He could almost feel your pain, and it hurt him to see you in so much pain and not being able to do anything about it.
"Is your throat hurting?" He asked, and had to hold in a laugh at the glare you gave him. You nodded, rubbing it with the heel of your hand again. When your father held out a spoon for you to take, and smiled as your nose crinkled as you shook your head.
"It will help with your throat, darling, it's just honey and cinnamon." You gave him a suspicious look.
"I promise, it's honey." He nodded towards the spoon, and you held the pinky of your free and to him.
"Promise?" Your voice was scratchy as you pleaded, and he hooked his pinky in yours.
"I promise. You should eat it, it won't help otherwise." You lifted the spoon to your lips and swallowed the golden liquid, your eyes lighting up at the sweetness. You licked it clean, and handed it back to your father, receiving a steaming cup of tea in return. Your nose pinched as the slightly stingy smell reached your nose, and you send a pleading look into your father's direction.
"It tastes better than it smells, it will help with the headache." After the spoonful of honey, you believed him easier and sipped the cup empty. The warmth was helping your throat, and the pain in your head slowly went away. Once you were finished, you were getting sleepy, and your father tucked you back to bed. As he waited for you to fall asleep, he laid on your bed.

Legolas peeked in the room, ready to give his father an earful about all of the matters he had dealt with today, but when he saw him lying in bed with you, he stilled at the door. You were sleeping cocooned against his stomach, safely tucked under his arm. The bed wasn't meant for a fully grown elf, so the king had to sleep at a weird angle, but it didn't seem to bother him one bit. Legolas couldn't help but smile at the sight and decided that he could chew his father out another day.