Betrothed(ON HOLD)

Chapter One

Arwen, only twenty years old, sat alone in her bedroom singing softly to herself. The song she sung to herself was that of Beren and Lúthien--her ancestors and the latter of which she was often compared to, even though she was still in her youth. Each verse gave her a slight chill, starting at the roots of her dark hair to the tips of her toes.

A soft knock came from the bedroom's door, bringing the young elf out of the somewhat trance she had sung herself into.

"Enter," she said, sighing and sitting up straighter on the cushions of the couch.

The doors swung opened and Elrond entered gracefully, his head held high and a soft smile on his lips. "Hello, my daughter."

"Hello, Ada," Arwen stood, looking up at her father. "Is something the matter?"

Elrond shook his head. "No, nothing is wrong. But I came to tell you to pack your things." Elrond moved to the small couch and patted the spot next to him. Arwen sat next to her father. "We are to be leaving soon."

"Where to, Ada?" Arwen asked excitedly, her face lighting up and her curiosity piqued. She had never left Rivendell in her whole short life. It thrilled her to think of the adventures that lay outside of her home, only awaiting her arrival.

Elrond smiled at the look on Arwen's face. "We are going to Mirkwood. The King wishes to meet you. So we must introduce you to him and his son."

Arwen looked down at her feet as she swung them back and forth. She didn't know whether to be excited or not. If she were meeting a prince and a king, that would leave no time for adventures and fun--only leaving time for manners and other boring things.

"Ada, why can't we just go on an adventure somewhere? Just you and I?"

Elrond laughed softly, but his eyes looked harder and filled with a pain. Arwen didn't notice the change in her father's eyes as she pouted down at the floor. "No, we cannot. When Elladan and Elrohir where younger, we went with your mother to meet the king. They've been a few times since then. Now that you are old enough, you must meet him too."

"Why do I have to?"

"Because it is respectful and it keeps the peace between Mirkwood and Imladris." Elrond stood from his seat. "Now, pack up. You will like the prince, I promise."

Arwen sighed again. She would much rather go on an adventure to find some vast mystical land that no one had discovered yet. Maybe when they made it to Mirkwood she could slip off and explore the forest? Probably not because her father would watch her closely. Maybe she could leave after they crossed mountains? That would be unlikely. She would most likely be put in a carriage because of her age. She was too small to ride a horse by herself.

Frustrated, Arwen gave into the fact that she could not escape this unwanted trip, and so she stood up from her seat and began to pack her things.

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"Legolas, be prepared. Lord Elrond and his children are coming for a visit on my request," Thranduil told his son who stood before his throne.

Legolas was just barely twenty-five. His blond hair was ratted up, with sticks and twigs sticking out all over the place. His face, hands, and feet were splattered with mud from running through the forest, and his cheeked were covered with small cuts and bruises from running through the trees. He had been playing tag with the girl Tauriel until one of his father's guards had hunted him down and brought him to the throne room.

"Why?" Legolas asked. Already boredom was taking over and he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Because," Thranduil sighed, shifting his position on his throne. "Lord Elrond has another child. He and I thought that we should get together and meet it."