2

Goodnight ."

After these words, she locked herself in the large chamber. She could still hear his quick footsteps, and then he apparently entered his own. Her chamber was beautiful. Against the wall stood a large bed decorated with rose petals. Opposite the door were two beautiful stained-glass windows of unicorns and flowers serving as window panes. A lantern hung from the ceiling. Antique-style wardrobes added even more charm to the room.

"What a day..." she thought, wiping away her tears. "Although if this was to be my life from the beginning, I can't complain, I won't cry anymore, never again, I'll be strong, no one will defeat me, no one will hurt me..." She stood there for a moment by the door, then approached one of the three wardrobes.

"Okay, what do we have here? What a room, a mirror, where's the mirror?" It stood in the corner, covered with a white cloth. Without taking too long, she slid the cloth to the floor.

"No, no, that's impossible... I've truly become an elf... I am an elf." She was tall, slender, with beautiful, cherry-colored hair hanging down to her knees, streaked with red, black, and blond hair.

"I'm pretty... I wonder what Ligolas thinks of me?" she smiled.

"Power that dwells within me, let me know this power and what dwells within me." That's not ##

." "Power that wrapped me, I thank you and I beg you, guide me, help me overcome—good or evil, it matters that nothing happens to my family."

"Well, now I have to go to sleep," she thought, then ran to the closet, pulled out a clean nightgown, and after washing and changing, she slipped under the covers.

The next day

, "Get up, it's eight o'clock already," Ligolas yelled nervously from behind the closed door

. "Now, now, I'm leaving in a moment..." "But that life wasn't entirely just a dream after all," she thought with a smile. "

Everyone's already up, you have to hurry, your mother wants you in.

" "So why didn't anyone wake me up earlier? It's not my fault!" she complained a little, unable to put on a simple but very pretty blue and silver dress with bare shoulders.

"Finally, I don't have time, I have to go to Tiveden, to one of the human cities," he said when she emerged from the room, a little sleepy, while he, like yesterday, was dressed in his beautiful armor.

"Thank you for waking me, but why are you getting up so early?" she rubbed her eyes awkwardly.

"Everyone here has a task, and you will have one too someday, Lilianna." He gestured toward a long corridor, where four guards were walking. Upon seeing her and Ligolas, they bowed low and moved on.

"Who were they?" She followed them with her gaze

. "They're guards. Just like me, they're responsible for defending this castle, and just like me, I'm supposed to watch over your safety."

"Aha," she replied, following him.

"You're definitely hungry, come to the dining room a little later, you'll go to your mother." He replied so coldly that it sent shivers down her spine.

"I didn't eat anything yesterday, but I'm not starving yet, but I'd love to grab a bite." She replied, a little irritated.

"Okay, come to breakfast..." "I have to ask my queen to put someone else in my place, I'm not suitable as a nanny, she knows I love solitude, and now she's making me watch her daughter, that's sick, I don't need a ball and chain."

"Wait, don't go so fast, I can't keep up..." she ran before he quickened his pace.

"And by the way, what's for breakfast, Ligolas?" she asked, smoothing her hair with her hand.

"Berries, vegetables, fruit, bread, jam, and many, many other delicacies, and what?" he asked, staring at the girl struggling with her high heels and the frills of her dress.

When they sat down at the table and began eating, the girl unexpectedly asked,

"So what are we doing today?" she replied.

After a grand bow, the dwarf entered the room, approached Ligolas, and whispered something in his ear. As he left, she asked,

"Something happened...about my parents." She asked.

"What? Your parents?" She snapped him out of his reverie. "Oh yes...um...They had to leave, they'll be back next year...they left last night while you were sleeping. I didn't know about their plans. If I had, I would have woken you up, but from what I've learned now, she didn't want to say goodbye to you, preferring to do it secretly so no one would suffer. She wanted you to rest and not worry about anything.

"Next year? I don't think I'll miss you, but I have a strange feeling," she replied, washing down a piece of bread with tea.

"You're just adjusting, you're slowly getting used to this life."

As they sat there, finishing breakfast, she noticed his indifferent gaze. He glanced at her furtively, trying to hide his confusion. He didn't know what to make of this girl, treating her with the utmost reserve. She didn't look at him often, but she knew he looked at her, quite often.

"Thank you..." She stood up and, stacking the dishes, collected them and turned to leave.

"You don't have to do that; we have maids for that, and besides, you're the daughter...

" "Oh, be quiet... I just won't let anyone have to clean up after me, and besides, my hands won't fall off," she replied, and headed for the kitchen, leaving him behind.

After washing the dishes and sweeping the kitchen, she headed out to the garden. She walked slowly along the paths, captivated by nature. The flowers growing in the garden sparkled with color and delighted everyone who saw them. She left the garden and headed toward a small grove of oak and birch trees. She saw an old swing on one of the old oak trees. Without hesitation, she ran to it and, checking if it was still functional, sat down and began to swing.

"It's been so long since I've swung..." she whispered thoughtfully as she rose higher, the wind playing with her hair. After a good twenty minutes, she heard voices and calls.

"Lilianna! Lilianna! For God's sake, speak up!" came the strange male voices.

"I'm here! On the swing!" she shouted uncertainly, staring at the silhouettes of two men approaching her.

"And what is Miss Lilianna doing here alone?!" the strangers asked, approaching her.

"I... I went to the garden and then I saw that wood in the valley and somehow... and then that swing... excuse me." She bowed low.

"Ha, Ha! Miss, don't apologize, and absolutely don't bow. It's not proper for such a young lady, we should bow..." one replied quickly.

"Miss, you shouldn't walk so far alone, we're not in our territory, we live in human lands full of demons and terrifying creatures... and you're so pretty it's scary..." the other added.

"They have the same armor as Ligolas, they must be his friends... I guess I don't have to be afraid of them. Gosh, why are they all so handsome..." she thought. "

Oh, stop, you're so pretty, you're all incredibly handsome too..." Oops..." "Damn it, I have to talk so much too." Her face turned red.

"Thank you, that's very kind..." "She's so sweet, a true treasure on earth." One of them thought.

"Hmm... you're welcome, but who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" she asked, sitting back down on the swing.

"Oh, right, miss, you don't know us. I'm Taranis, and the tall guy next to us is Bran.

" "Do you have a problem with me!?" he asked jokingly, holding out his fists.

"Yes, I do! Ha, ha!" He turned to him and did the same as Bran.

"Yes?! Come on then!" He smiled, jumping in place like a professional boxer.

"Hey! What are you two planning to do? You don't want to fight, do you?" She stopped dead in her tracks as they approached. "What am I supposed to do?" she thought, stepping between them.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to scare you," Taranis blushed and bowed low, as did Bran.

"Ha, ha!" You didn't scare me, but don't do that again... oh, call me Lili, I don't like that "lady"

"Agreed, but only when we're alone with the lady, we can't call her by her first name," they shouted in unison.

"Shall we go back?" she asked as the sky grew cloudy. She wasn't afraid because she was with them, but the fact that she'd spent almost the entire day outside and hadn't said anything to Ligolas worried her.

"Yes, of course Ligolas is probably worried too... we were supposed to come back immediately, sir... when we found you, and we got all chatty and...

" "And all that chatter... Ligolas doesn't have to worry, after all, I'm with you..." She smiled at them as warmly as she could.

"Ligolas would be angry if he heard that... your mother told him to watch out for you... he's responsible for you... you have to tell him where you're going.

" "I know, I won't go anywhere alone again."

With those words, they set off on their way back. She had never laughed so hard, she cried with laughter, and her new friends were holding their bellies. When they reached the castle, Bran told her to go change into more modest, more combat-appropriate attire, as they would be fighting and exercising. She quickly ran to my chamber, deftly dodging all the subjects there. She threw all her clothes out of the closets, finally spotting a neatly folded black leather suit in the corner. She pulled it out immediately and began trying it on. She slipped into a tight, sleeveless top with straps and a mid-cut neckline, and put on sturdy shoulder pads.

The top laced up at the back; she struggled a bit, but then it fit perfectly. The dress was quite tight, knee-length, with rather large slits on the sides. She tied her hair in a ponytail, and put on boots that reached almost below her knees. She put bracelets on her wrists and a chain with a small, almost round crystal, which was part of the set, around her

neck. She quickly put on a dark blue hooded cape and ran out of the chamber.

As she ran down the stairs, she saw Taranis and Ligolas discussing something. She stopped in the middle of the hall and stared at the two men. When they saw her and went downstairs, she realized her guardian wasn't eager to talk, and she feared criticism from him.

"Lilianna, we can go," Taranis smiled at her.

Ligolas looked her up and down and, cursing under his breath, left the castle. A moment later, they followed suit.

"What took you so long? And what a beautiful...armor..." Bran scratched his forehead, standing in front of the castle.

"Don't you? I like it too." She smiled, having always wanted such equipment.

"But we weren't...we weren't just admiring...Lilianna's outfit." He smiled and started toward the stone path through the forest.

"Not the outfit? But what..." "Oh God, my curves? It's impossible!" a surge of blood rushed to her brain.

"You're so stupid! How can anyone say that!?" she ran up to them, startled, but when she saw them enjoying her embarrassment, she was glad to meet them.

They walked briskly, as it was getting late. Kiara turned out to be a pleasant, middle-aged nymph. She wore a similar outfit, or rather armor, to her new companions. Kiara was incredibly skilled, moving like the wind, while she was so clumsy that the boys had such a good time they had to leave the room.

After four hours, she thanked them and went to Bran, who was eating an apple, and to his friend sitting on the ground next to a mug of beer. She approached them and said,

"Can we go home now? I'm about to faint, everything hurts, and on top of that, I just want to sleep..."

They slowly stood up and brushed the remnants of food off their bodies with their hands.

"We're going, we didn't know it would bother you so much...

" "Yes, but now we have to go... the goblins must be lurking in the woods," Taranis added.

"Goblins?" she asked, terrified at the thought of something lurking in the woods and then attacking someone.

"Yes, but don't be afraid, you're safe with us," Bran replied as they left the small castle nestled in the forest.

They slowly moved toward the house. She was terribly afraid, clutching Bran's cloak tightly; she thought he understood. He only smiled warmly as she responded to the sounds coming from the forest with a quiet moan and pressed herself closer to his strong arm. When they reached a fork, she stopped and leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees.

"Stop, I can't anymore... really, my legs are cramping and my back hurts terribly...

" "Come on..." she heard, and when she looked at Taranis, she understood what he meant by that word. He wanted to give her a piggyback ride, but he turned his back to her and leaned forward slightly. She stood unsteadily, wondering if she should.

"Lili, come on, don't worry, you won't break me," he laughed to himself.

At those words, she jumped onto his back, wrapped her arms around his strong, masculine shoulders, and then nestled her head against his warm back. She felt his warm hands gripping her thighs. She even thought he shivered as she snuggled against him, but maybe she was imagining it.

She felt incredibly comfortable on his back, and she didn't even know when she fell asleep. She only woke up when Ligolas carefully pulled her off Taranis's warm back. The boys said goodbye and left. Ligolas lifted her and, carrying her in his arms, slowly climbed the stairs. When he unexpectedly hugged her, she moaned because she had a large bruise on her back. He immediately loosened his embrace.

"Where am I..." she pretended he had woken her from her sleep.

"You're home and in bed soon...does anything hurt?" That's fine, if you came with me, I'd make sure you were okay, right?!" he asked dryly. "

My back hurts a bit, I fell off the box, and then there were those exercises, but it's nothing..." "Gosh, he's so strong, ouch, my back..."

"Ligolas, can I get down now?" She tried to pull away, but she couldn't because he was holding her tightly.

"We'll be there soon..." he muttered under his breath

. "My back hurts, I want to get down!" She punched him in the chest, the pain ripping through her body. Doesn't he understand?

At one point, a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Everything hurt so much, she couldn't lie in his arms anymore.

"I'm sorry..." he gently set her on her feet.

"I... I'd love to lie in your arms again, but my back hurts so much... Taranis had to carry me; I don't think I could have done it myself..."

Ligolas was silent, unable to say anything, shocked that such a beautiful, high-born elf wanted to feel his closeness, and moreover, wanted to lie in his embrace. Now he listened to her soft moans. She grabbed his arm and slowly followed him. He didn't dare embrace her, afraid of hurting her again.

"Does it hurt badly? Another ten steps and you're in bed," he replied, a little more gently.

"No... it doesn't hurt, just a little." She tightened her grip on his arm. Her spine ached so much she thought it would break.

Ligolas quickly opened the door to her room and slowly laid the girl on the bed.

She lay on her back and couldn't move. Ligolas watched her helplessly, unsure what to do. He'd never had anything to do with women, they'd never interested him. He'd only been drawn to dark forces and dangerous journeys. Now, however, he wanted to help her, but he didn't know how to care for a woman.

"Ligolas..." she replied quietly, closing her eyes. "Could you run some warm water into the bathtub for me... maybe it'll ease after a bath..."

He stood a little disoriented by her bed, but after a moment he went to one of the maids. After a while, he came back, explaining that the maids would take care of it. He sat down uncertainly on the corner of my bed and carefully leaned over her.

"Can I see your back?" he replied, sighing as if someone were forcing him to

. "But I don't have the strength to turn around..."

He gently turned her over onto her stomach. She nodded as he looked at her questioningly to untie her armor.

Hesitantly, he began to untie the tight straps of the suit. Once the strings were all untied, he saw a large purple-blue bruise on the girl's back.

"How did you fall?! Such a bruise... how did you do that?"

"Don't scream... we fought a bit, and then I fell off the box onto something hard... it didn't hurt so much before, but now..."

He was silent for a moment. She felt him pull her dress further apart, probably to check how big the bruise really was; it stretched from her shoulders to her hips.

"Mr. Ligolas... we have warm water..." the voice of the maid standing behind the door echoed through the room.

"Yes, please come in," he replied, still leaning over the girl.

The maids began to bustle around the room, placing a wooden bathtub in the center and pouring warm water into it. When the bathtub was full, they excused themselves and left the room, leaving them alone. The terror in his eyes grew; he looked helplessly around the room, and she had to smile, even though her back hurt terribly. But he couldn't help but laugh. He was angry with himself and with her. He snorted maliciously when he saw the smile on her face.

"Help me get up, I'd like to change..." she added hastily.

He gently lifted her up so she was sitting. As she began to undress from her top, he immediately turned his back to her. Once she was naked, she wrapped a towel around her waist and placed her clothes on the bed.

"Ligolas...will you help me...?" she asked uncertainly

. "Of course!" He ran over and wrapped his arms around her waist so she wouldn't fall.

"Thanks..."