Daughter Of Lórien || Book 1||

Ch 9 ~ The Palace

I growl on my way out of the sparring area. For some reason, the Prince finds it necessary to escort me to my rooms. I shoot him a foul look over my shoulder as I saunter down the hall.

"What do you want?" I grumble, eyes facing forward, not turning to look at him as his brisk strides eventually cause him to catch up to me.

He looks down at me in disgust.

"Oh believe me, I would rather be anywhere else but here right now," he snarls.

I shoot him a bored look. "So leave."

He gives me a sarcastic smile.

"Unfortunately, my King decided it would be best for me to escort you to your rooms." He rolls his eyes. "As if no one else could do so."

I grunt. I don't want to be hounded throughout the palace. But I don't feel like picking another fight right now so we continue walking on, in silence. The Prince's presence is a thorn in my side but that doesn't stop me from admiring the beauty of the palace as we walk through it. The forest of Mirkwood may be dark and dreary but the Woodland Realm... well, that is something entirely different.

Elegant curving archways, shaped by intertwining polished branches mark every doorway, delicate pillars of dark brown wood shooting high into the air, reaching up to the ceiling far above. There are luminous bulbs of shining light that cascade down in spirals from the ceiling, giving the entire hall a warm glow, as if the Kingdom had captured the very light of the stars that shine in the night. My favourite detail however, are all the parts of the palace that are open to the outside, wide ledges of polished wood, hanging far above the forest floor, where the branches of the tall trees stretch overhead, creating a canopy to shadow the sun peeking between the feathery leaves.

I breathe in deeply as we pass across one of the many outdoor ledges of the palace, letting the fresh air fill my lungs and the scarce sunlight warm my face. Prince Legolas continues to walk silently by my side, face devoid of emotions as I bask in the warmth of the sun, letting its bright rays reflect the golden hue of my hair.

I can sense him looking at me but I do not turn my head. I will not allow our foul bickering ruin the beauty of this Kingdom for me.

We finally reach my rooms and as I reach to open the door, the Prince halts.

"This is where I leave you."

His eyes suddenly snag on the still-bleeding cut on my upper arm, just noticing the damage he had inflicted, and raises an eyebrow. "...Unless, of course, you need medical attention?"

I remember the cut and do a quick inspection of it. It seems fairly clean and will heal itself rather nicely, although it may leave a faint scar. I'm sure whatever equipment I find in my rooms will be sufficient in binding it. Turning, I lean against the door and give him a bored look.

"Oh, trust me. I'm probably the best healer on this side of the Misty Mountains." I smirk. "I can take care of myself."

He gives me a curt nod, though a lick of humor shimmers in his eyes, if only for a moment. "Well... I guess I'll see you again later then."

I snort, crossing my arms. "Its not exactly like we can avoid each other."

"See you around..." He gives me a smirk. "Princess."

With a turn of his head, he stalks away, leaving me with a returning insult hanging off my parted lips.