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"My Lady, where are your shoes?"
Selwenn skidded to a stop and glanced down at her bare feet. "My chambers, I believe. Or perhaps I lost them somewhere between there and here," she said cheerfully. "Is there a problem?"
"No, My Lady, it is just..." The Elven guard shifted side to side on his feet before sighing. "You know how much your father wishes for you to wear your shoes, even within these halls."
Selwenn huffed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "And I have told him countless times that I think he is silly for wishing me so. I can move more freely without them, which is especially needed right now as I am on an urgent errand to find the prince. You see, he is hiding from me, and if I delay any longer, he will find a new place, and I will never find him. I cannot be weighed down by something as pointless as shoes."
"Of course, My Lady," he said, bowing his head. Selwenn bit back a grin as he tried to hide his own smile. "I shall say nothing on the matter to your father. I wish you luck on your pursuit."
"Thank you, my good friend!" Selwenn curtsied and fluffed out her green skirts as she did so. With a parting smile, she resumed her quick pace through the twisting halls of her home.
She moved through the place with all the grace of her kin and all the knowledge that came from growing up in the place. She went briskly, searching high and low, in every corner and nook, for her little cousin. Legolas was still a small child, so there were unfortunately many tight places he could squeeze into. But Selwenn was older than him and knew the entirety of her home like the back of her hand. It was only a matter of finding him before supper.
Elves greeted her as she passed, some with the formality that her title invoked, but most with the friendliness she hoped for from them. She would always be the Princess of the Woodland Realm, but she did not wish to be viewed as greater than the rest of her people. She was their friend before she was their princess.
Selwenn skipped down a set of stairs and careened around a corner, immediately slamming into two bodies. She stumbled back and opened her mouth to apologize. However, upon seeing who exactly she ran into, she broke into a wide grin.
"Ada! Uncle!" she exclaimed.
Her father, Tathron, reached out to rub her forehead, while his brother Thranduil crossed his arms, wearing that same impassive expression she often saw on his face. "What are you in such a rush for?" her father asked.
"I'm looking for Legolas!"
"Is he missing?" Thranduil asked, sounding suddenly alarmed.
Selwenn quickly eased his fear. "We're playing! He has been given free reins to hide anywhere, staying within the halls, of course. And he was not allowed to hide in the dungeons. Perhaps you two can help me look for him? We will have better luck among the three of us."
The brothers shared a look, and Selwenn had the vague thought that they might be communicating through their minds. Thranduil waved his hand dismissively after a moment, saying, "We'll finish our discussion later. I do not have time to join your game." He brushed past her, his flowing robes trailing behind him.
Selwenn watched him go with a frown before turning to her father.
"Do not mind your uncle," he said. "He is in a sour mood."
"He's always in a sour mood," she muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!"
Tathron narrowed his eyes at her but said no more on the matter. They'd had this conversation before, about how her uncle's moods changed frequently. She could not blame him, for it had still been such a short time since his wife was killed. Still, she missed her uncle before grief consumed him and did not wish for this to be the only version that Legolas knew of his father.
Selwenn glanced back in the direction that Thranduil had gone. "Perhaps he can join us next time, when he is in a happier mood."
"Perhaps, sell nín," her father said softly, then stepped toward her to smooth down her dark red hair that she inherited from her mother. Selwenn scrunched her nose at his ministrations.
"Ada, my hair is fine."
"Your braids are nearly undone, and it has begun to tangle. How long exactly have you been playing with Legolas today?"
"Well, after I finished my archery lessons this morning, Legolas came to me asking to play," she explained, trying to dodge Tathron's hands. He seemed to be trying to entirely redo her braids. "We are playing a game within our game, you know. Whoever can find each other the most number of times wins."
"Oh, yes? And who is winning currently?" He gave up attempting to fix her hair and planted his hands on his hips.
"Me! Which means I need to go find him now so that I can continue winning. And you are hindering me!"
"I thought you wished for help."
Selwenn opened her mouth, then shut it. She had done that not but five minutes ago. "Well, yes. Then we must hurry, Ada! Legolas will begin to believe I've admitted defeat which means he automatically wins. I refuse to let that happen. We can cover more ground between the two of us."
"And what if I find him before you do?" he asked. "Will I get a point, or will it go to you?"
Selwenn pouted. "Well, I hope it will go to me. If you are insistent on it going to you, then we will need to keep track."
"I jest, my dear. We will be a team with you as our leader." Tathron placed his hands on Selwenn's shoulders and grinned. "Now, let us go find the little Elfling, shall we?"
She smiled back and nodded excitedly. They briefly discussed where Selwenn had already searched and where each would split off to. Tathron would go to the living quarters while Selwenn would make her way to the gardens.
"Oh, and, Selwenn?" Tathron said just before they parted ways.
"Yes, Ada?"
"Do not think I didn't notice your lack of shoes."
She glanced down at her feet and giggled, then bounded off. She heard her father chuckle in her departure.
Selwenn skipped merrily, singing quietly as she went. It did not take long for her to come upon the gardens. Sunlight filtered in through the windows high on the ceiling, illuminating the brilliant colors that encompassed the gardens. Selwenn smiled faintly, for she had always adored flowers and plants. But she was not here to admire that which she could visit on any given day. She was here to find a golden-haired little Elf.
Various Elves lingered in the gardens, but Selwenn did not bother them. It was another rule that she and Legolas had established — they were not allowed to ask others if they had seen the hider. It would lead to their game ending far too quickly, and that was entirely no fun.
Her steps were light as she meandered through the gardens, ducking beneath branches to search in bushes. Last time, Legolas had gotten his hair so tangled from hiding in a bush that Selwenn almost thought they would have to cut it. So, she doubted he would make the same mistake twice, but he was still a child. She did not have too high of hopes.
In her surveying of the assortment of small places that her cousin could fit into, she nearly did not look up. However, it was hard to miss the very distinct sound of a giggle, a giggle that she herself was often the cause of. Carefully, she tilted her head slightly and lifted her gaze. There, amongst the branches of one of the few trees they grew within these halls, was an all too excited Legolas.
He hadn't noticed her catching him yet, so she decided to play along.
"Now, if I was a little Elvish prince, where would I hide?" she wondered aloud, aimlessly walking in circles. "Perhaps with the berries? No, not here, for they would be much too tempting of a snack."
Selwenn tapped her chin, biting back a grin as Legolas tried — and failed — to suppress his amusement. His laugh was like a melody, one guaranteed to calm even the harshest storms. She pondered how anyone could feel sorrow when he existed.
"Ah-ha!" she exclaimed while jumping to the base of the tree, straining her neck to look up at him. "I found you!"
Legolas shrieked, then burst out laughing. Selwenn laughed with him. "I think you cheated!" he shouted.
"You say that every time, mell nín, and every time it is not true. Now, come down here so I can relish in my victory."
"You have to catch me!"
Selwenn leaned back and placed her hands on her hips. She glanced between where she stood and where Legolas was perched, gauging the distance and determining if she could catch him without either of them ending up on the floor. It certainly wouldn't be the first time, but she would prefer no injuries were acquired today. Once she felt it safe enough, she looked back up at her little cousin. "Very well," she said. "Shall I count down or—"
Legolas did not wait for a countdown. He threw himself off the branch, much to Selwenn's chagrin, and plummeted to the ground. Selwenn, of course, had figured he would do such a thing, so she was ready to lunge forward and catch him before he hit the ground. He giggled wildly as she spun him around, her arms secured at his back.
"Must you always do that, you silly child?" she laughed.
"It is fun!" he retorted.
She settled him on her hip and poked his nose. "It is dangerous."
"That is the same thing as fun."
Well, she couldn't exactly argue with him on that.
"I thought I heard excitement." Selwenn turned at the sound of her father's voice and grinned widely as he approached them. He plucked a leaf from Legolas's hair, before letting it float down to the floor. "It seems you did not need my help after all, sell nín," he said.
Legolas gasped. "Are you playing too, Uncle?"
"Well, that depends on who is hiding next."
"Selwenn!" Legolas shouted and pat Selwenn's cheek, though his movement was rather uncoordinated, and it ended up more like a slap than a tap.
"Why must I hide next?" she asked. "Why can he not hide?" She gestured at Tathron.
"He won't be good at it," Legolas declared.
"Excuse me, I will have you know that when I was a young Elfling I excelled at this game. In fact, I was so good that your father stopped playing with me because I always won," Tathron said.
"Ada played with you?" Legolas's eyes grew wide, sparkling brightly as they spoke about Thranduil. Selwenn smiled softly at her little cousin's admiration. She only hoped that he knew how much Thranduil truly loved his son.
Despite her uncle's serious and indifferent reputation, she often saw adoration shining in his eyes as he looked at Legolas. When Legolas was still a baby, Thranduil would present him to any Elf in his vicinity and ramble on about how perfect the little prince was. Selwenn was even certain that her uncle cried the day Legolas was born. Death and grief had hardened him, but nothing could dim his love for his son, only make him afraid to show it.
"He did, and he was a rather sore loser." Tathron winked. "But you did not hear that from me."
Legolas giggled and asked, "Do you think Ada will play with us?"
Selwenn and Tathron shared a brief look, her father's brows drooping ever so slightly. Neither wished to ruin Legolas's joy at the idea of playing a game with his father, but Thranduil had already made it clear that he would take no part in their activities today.
Tathron schooled his features and looked back at Legolas, still smiling. "How about this... Today we will prove how great I am at hiding and tomorrow we will rope your father into joining us. Does that sound good?"
Legolas nodded excitedly.
"Perfect!" Selwenn said. "Now, Ada, go hide! You have three minutes before we come searching." She released one arm from her hold on Legolas and nudged her father. He laughed but complied, hurrying away.
The next three minutes passed with Selwenn carrying Legolas around the gardens and answering the variety of questions he conjured up about the plants and flowers. Children were always curious, but Legolas especially longed to learn about the things around him and even the world beyond their home. He was much like Tathron in that way.
After the three minutes were over, Selwenn planted Legolas on the ground and stood behind him, her hands on his shoulders. "Now, mell nín," she said, "whoever finds him first will get extra dessert tonight. Three..."
Legolas bounced up and down in anticipation.
"Two..."
He looked over his shoulder at her. "If I win, I will give you my extra dessert."
Selwenn's heart melted at how sweet this little Elf was. She thanked the Valar every day for gracing her with him. He was the greatest thing in her life, and she would wish for nothing else as long as she had him.
"Thank you, Legolas," she whispered. "One!"
Legolas broke off into a run, disappearing quickly. Selwenn watched him for a moment and smiled before going after him in search of her father.