Second Chances| Legolas

Part 1

Author's note: This is kind of the first story I have written in Tolkien's universe. I have been binge-watching/reading The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings. Ilianna who is going to be the oc is also going to be mentioned in When The Clock Strikes. I am going to try and keep this as canon as possible. But we will see how it goes.  

Also, is cross-posted on my Tumblr roadtogracelandx45 and AO3 under the same name as on here. 

*****

"Princess, please stop pouting." Roan, Princess Ilianna's long-time guardian, sighed from the doorway of Iliana's bedroom. The princess was sitting on the low sitting stool that sat in front of the half-empty vanity table, handmaidens were gathering her belongings and putting them into the trunks that littered the room. "I am not pouting." Anna finally said turning to look at her, she had been pouting and she had been since she had found out that the upcoming wedding between her and the youngest prince of the Woodland realm, Mirkwood, Legolas had pushed forward.

Anna thought that it wasn't fair that she couldn't choose the person that she wanted to marry. Every other elf in their kingdom had the choice of who they married, elf, man. It didn't matter they had that choice.

"Yes, you are." The protector said as she came into the room, her eyes flicking first to the open windows and to the maids packing Anna's belongings up and then finally to the princess. "This is your duty to your family and not love."

Anger burned in Anna's blue eyes as she stood up, bitter words biting at the tip of her tongue. What did Roan know about love? She had been long married to another one of the protectors, Eion, and from what the princess saw there was no love lost between the two. They just coexisted without any problems.

"That goes with me.' Anna sharply said, turning towards the maid who had her leather-bound diary in her hands. "Yes, Your Highness." The girl returned meekly, thankful that Anna hadn't flown into a rage like she had when she first found out that she was leaving home. It had taken them days to clean up the wreckage even with the princess trying to help them clean up.

"You may like Mirkwood," Eion commented from the entryway of the room, he had finally left the long meeting detailing how they were to get Anna from their kingdom first to Rivendell and then to Mirkwood.

"I have heard of Mirkwood Eion." She returned as she slipped the diary into the bag that she was carrying with her, "It's not the Mirkwood of old. There are spiders in those woods." Either protector missed how she trembled at the mention of spiders. Since a young age, Anna had a fear of spiders and it carried with her to adulthood. "And I have heard stories of Thranduil."

"Did your sisters tell you these stories?" Anna, like Legolas, was the youngest sibling in a herd of siblings and several of her older sisters had written to her telling her of the stories they had of Mirkwood, Thranduil, and Legolas and it had made her fear so much worse.

"So what if they did?" She returned, "At least they were honest with me about it, you know Thranduil was the one that didn't go to the side of the dwarves of Erebor?"

"Did you spend time in the restricted area of the library again?" Roan sighed, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose, they had warned her over and over again that she wasn't allowed in that part of it.

"No." Anna lied, "my sisters told me about it."

"It shouldn't surprise you, Roan, Anna never follows the rules." Eion said, "And the library staff has never said no to her before." The word no had never been a part of Anna's life. As a princess, she got away with most of the things that she did, only getting punishment from Roan and Eion though it was rare.

"I wouldn't expect it to change now." Anna rolled her eyes, "I do follow them sometimes. And what's wrong with knowing the truth about what happened and the history of where I am going to be?" "There's nothing wrong with it Princess." Roan started, "but."

'But you know your father's rules."

"He can take those rules."

"Annie!" A laugh came from the doorway, and her elder brother and heir to the throne, Illarion, followed. "What? I am just telling the truth." She shrugged a smile playing on her lips. "And look where that got our dear sweet sister. It got her head taken off."

She mimicked the sword swinging down and Roan paled, she and Eion hated that Anna had to be there to see it. But her father insisted that she attend so she knows what happens when a child misbehaves. Anna had nightmares of the execution almost every night, Roan wasn't sure if they carried on after a few months because she stopped talking about them. "I have got some good news for you." "I don't have to go?" She asked hopefully. "No you still have to go but I am going with you to Rivendell."

The hope seemed to melt off of her face and her shoulders slumped down, 'He isn't allowing you to go with me to Mirkwood?"

Illarion shook his head, "You will be very well protected going from Rivendell to Mirkwood, you will have your guards, and Legolas and his own company are going to meet you there." "Why do I have to do this? Why not any of the other sisters?'

"I don't know." He fibbed crossing the room to sit next to her on the chest that sat at the end of her bed. He knew the truth but saying it out loud would crush her and it would change her into someone that she wasn't supposed to be. Throwing her hands up in defeat, Anna nodded her head in agreement.