Chapter Text
Tauriel did not have a brother. Her parents had not had any other children apart from her, so she naturally had no siblings. Her Ada and Nana were her sole family, for they were both only children and had no living parents of their own, and they would always be her sole family.
Even now that they were in the Halls of Mandos.
Everyone told her how lucky she was. How grateful she should be for the King to take her in as his own, to give her chambers in his wing, to clothe her in fine royal garbs and let her join in his luxurious meals. How merry it must be to have the Prince as a brother now.
Except he wasn’t. Legolas was her Prince, and Thranduil her King. They were not her family, nor would they ever be.
Regarding Legolas, he was strange anyways.
She did not mean to be crude, but having resided next door to and spent several meals with him, she had noticed some qualities about Legolas she hadn’t before when simply seeing him around the realm.
He stared. Sometimes straight into her eyes for far too long. Other times, he stared off into the distance or at anything other then her midst conversation. To be fair, she had not spoken with him often. Much of her time had been spent locked in her chambers, brooding and crying and overall renouncing her new living situation. Perhaps she needed more time to gauge his staring tendencies.
It did not however explain his movements. The first time she saw she’d wondered if he was ill. Perhaps a cramp from a wound, or another physical ailment that caused his arms to be nervous. Then one evening, when she was sat on one end of the table silently eating her dinner while Legolas at Thranduil’s side was giving an animated retelling of his time in the forest that day, she noticed he was bouncing his hands in accordance to his excitement. When he spoke of the small fallen squirrel he had lifted back up to its branch, a wide smile gracing his features, his hands accented his thrilled sentiment.
She had never seen him or any other elf flap their hands about like he did. In fact, she had not witnessed anyone speaking with such force and energy about such small a topic like Legolas did.
She minded, but not because he was odd. The peculiarity surrounding him made him more approachable in a way, which she despised. She wanted to reject the two of them. They would not replace her parents, ever.
Deep down she was aware that her coldness towards the royal family was unwarranted, that they had merely stepped up to the task of providing her with a home. It was easier to dismiss Thranduil, as he seemed much like the King she knew in private as well. The only times that unending grace and greatness seemed quieted were during moments spent with his son, where he would smile softly and engage in pleasant conversation. Said son was harder to spurn, as he was much different and much less regal in private.
It infuriated her, that Legolas was interesting and kind and potentially good brother material.
Still, she would not be swayed. The space her parents held in her heart would not be sacrificed for either her King or her Prince.