Daughter Of Lórien || Book 1||

Ch 15 ~ Chocolate

A shout is heard from the kitchens as I barrel down the hall with my arms full of sweets, Nëniel sprinting alongside me and trying to balance the platter of cake in her hands. The head chef of the kitchen didn't see us sneaking in until it was too late, most of her chocolate pastries gone with the fleeting sounds of our footsteps.

We run throughout the halls, trying to distance ourselves from the kitchens and its angry chef, my dress rippling around my ankles as I try to avoid tripping over it. I turn the corner and slow down, pastries still clutched to my chest as I see Nëniel do the same. One look at her, the chocolate icing of the cake now smeared across the front of her uniform, sends me bursting into laughter. She turns to me in surprise, her hair disheveled from the run, and a grin splits her face, no doubt from the mess I am. Most of the pastries have been crushed in my arms during our flight from the kitchens, and the whipped frostings and gooey fillings have spread all over the front of my dress. Our laughter dies down and we both seat ourselves onto the floor of the hall and indulge in our sweets. The sound of satisfied cruching fills the small space of the hall.

Nëniel glances up at me, halfway through a slice of her cake. "I see you've got a taste for chocolate."

I look down at my trove of sweets, noticing now that I had instinctively only snatched chocolate desserts, leaving most of the other pastries behind. I shrug at her.

"It only is the best food this world has to offer," I say, finishing off a chocolate tart and gesturing to the half-finished slice of cake in her hand. "I'm assuming you do as well?"

She laughs, cutting another slice of cake with one of her daggers and handing it to me. "Seems that we have a lot in common."

I take the slice and bite into it, the rich chocolaty glaze melting on my tongue and making my mouth water.

"I must say," I mumble with my mouth full, "You Woodland folk have one talented pastry chef here."

Nëniel only nods, too occupied with eating her own slice of cake to respond.

I finish off my piece of cake and glance over to her.

"However," I continue lazily, laughter and challenge dancing in my eyes. "If you want good cuisine you have to taste the cooking in Rivendell. Our chef is unmatched in that sense."

She pauses her eating, musing over my statement, and then goes back to munching on the cake.

"I won't argue with that," she says with a nonchalant shrug. She gives me a grin. "I prefer pastries anyway."

We sit in the hallway, exchanging sweets and chatting as the sun slowly ascends along the sky. A good while later, both our stomachs full of various different sweets, I hoist myself to my feet, holding my last pastry in one hand and extend a hand to Nëniel, nothing but crumbs left of the chocolate cake devoured by the both of us.

"It's nearly noon," I say as I pull her to her feet. I give her an innocent look. "My plans for the day are pretty much non-existent. Any mischief you would care to get into before lunch?"

She gives me a wry smile.

"As much as I'd love to, I am the Captain of the Guard." She gives me a pointed look." Not a visitor here, so I do have certain obligations I must attend to."

She glances up at the sun. "And judging by the time, I'm already late for one of them."

"Any suggestions of what to do if you are a bored diplomatic ambassador?" I ask, straightening out my dress and trying furiously to clean out the chocolate stains to no avail.

She gives me a shrug. "You could go bother your brothers..."

I consider this as she begins to jog down the hall.

"I'll see you later," she calls back to me and I raise a hand in farewell.

I start back down the hall in the opposite direction, still holding a small chocolate scone in my hand, the drizzled glaze on top of it already beginning to melt. I pick up the cake platter and set the scone onto it, deciding to save it for my brothers who, no doubt, did not have a very extraordinary breakfast down in the healers wing, especially since Nëniel and I had stolen all the pastries. Turning the corner I almost slam into the elf hurrying around the other side, obviously paying as little attention to his surroundings as I am.

I look up at him and feel a smirk growing across my face at the familiar annoyed expression I find there.

"Hello Princeling," I purr, holding the platter with the scone aloft in one hand.

He is not in his usual armor this morning, wearing a thick forest green tunic instead, with casual pants and supple boots. His hair is braided, as usual, but into only one large, messy plait as opposed to his usual three precise, small ones. The sprawling golden embroidery along his sleeves catches my eye, the pattern and colors seeming very familiar.

"Princess," he says, greeting me with a smirk as his eyes notice the platter and scone in my hand. He raises an eyebrow at me. "It seems I have caught the subject of all the talk of the morning: the mysterious kitchen thief."

"Who, me?" I ask innocently as his eyes take in the chocolate smeared all across the front of my dress. "Never."

He snorts and rolls his eyes, a glimmer of amusement in his icy eyes.

I cross my arms, making a big show of looking him up and down. "So this is what the Prince of Mirkwood looks like on a regular day."

He cocks his head, a small smile slipping past his lips.

"Should I also assume that this is what the Lady of Rivendell looks like on a casual day?" he teases, gesturing at the chocolatey stains I had tried to clean out hastily, although it seems my efforts were in vain.

"Pretty much," I say, giving him a sweet, innocent smile in return. "Raiding the Royal Kitchens of any kingdom is like my second job."

That earns a chuckle from him, his usually cold eyes now softening with genuine laughter.

"Might I be so bold as to ask what the first is?"

I shrug. "Possibly being a thorn in my brothers' sides. And I'm on my way to do that now."

I make to slip around him but his hand catches my arm and stops me short.

His eyebrows are raised as he gestures a hand behind me. "The healers wing is that way."

My smile drops into a puzzled frown.

I grumble at him, disappointed with being lost, "Well it would seem that I am in need of an escort, as this palace is way too confusing to navigate for one who is only visiting."

He laughs lightly, all his previous hostility and annoyance at me fading away as the cold demeanor of the warrior prince is replaced with that of a carefree young elf.

"I am going there myself right now," he says with a lazy grin, extending an arm to me. "Care to join me, my lady?"

My eyes light up and I take his arm as a genuine smile spreads across my face.

"I would love to."