Isilwen stayed very quietly pressed against the bookcase while Elrond informed the Hobbit party that Haldir of Lorien would be accompanying them on their journey to Ithilien. She was already feeling very stupid about what had happened the night before. Haldir had said the cut on her face was ugly, not her whole face, but she had misinterpreted him and run. Now she would be forever scarred.

Even if he had meant her face, why should she have cared? Maybe it was because she had realized a powerful attraction to him as they stood in the moonlight together in the gardens of Rivendell. Why shouldn't she be attracted to him? After all, he was similar in feature to her two best friends, and she had always found Orophin and Rúmil deliciously handsome. When he had kissed her, her knees had melted. She had wanted to feel more of that.

Then there was the fact that he had invited her to his bed. No one had ever done that before (except his brothers, all in play.) Sometimes she pretended it was because they were all too afraid of Erestor to dare, or because they all knew she was saving herself for Elrond. Deep down inside, she feared it was because they found her strange and unattractive. After all, she looked nothing like the other Elves of Rivendell.

Isilwen was also disappointed to learn that Haldir had spent the night with Legolas when she had refused him. This surprised her, in that she thought Legolas and Ciendriel were completely committed to each other… but it also cheapened his offer to her. Not that she had thought it meant any more than it seemed to. Oh, damn him for confusing her. She returned her gaze to her beloved Elrond. She should never have strayed in thought from him.

Elrond dismissed the meeting and the Hobbits and Dwarf immediately slipped out. Isilwen wondered if she could get to see Rúmil and Orophin before they left. She would hate losing them. Then she would be left alone, friendless, with no ally except Erestor, when he deigned to be kind to her. No, that, was not fair. He had treated her well and looked after her all of her life. If he was strict, it was because his upbringing in the lands of the East was different than hers in Rivendell. He loved her. He took care of her. It was not his fault, really, that her heart was so wild and untamed. The cruelest thing he had ever done was not allowing her to heal her face. Then again, the dumbest thing she had ever done was to fall through Lord Elrond's roof.

Erestor was waiting to lead Haldir to Rúmil and Orophin, but Isilwen knew she would not be permitted to follow. On the plus side, if Erestor had forgotten about her, she might be able to remain in the library with Elrond. She tried to come up with something clever to say to him. Before they could leave, Ciendriel put a hand on Haldir's arm.

"Forgive me," she said softly. "I owe you an apology for my accusations."

"I take it that you found your bloody map, then," Haldir said to her coldly.

The Princess nodded and withdrew her hand. She stepped backwards and Legolas put his arm around her waist. Haldir stared at the pair of them for a few seconds, but he said not if he accepted the apology. Abruptly he turned back to Erestor.

"Let's go."

Erestor nodded and departed the room with Haldir. Legolas and Ciendriel made their excuses to Elrond and followed after their Hobbit friends. Isilwen felt her heart begin to pound in her chest as she realized that she had her wish. She was alone with Elrond. Now, this time she must not run away…or try to. She turned and looked at him for a long moment, but then her courage failed her. It was so easy to follow him around and love him from afar, and so hard to do anything when they were face to face. She turned back around and started for the door.

"Isilwen."

She froze in her tracks. Hearing her name on his lips was unbearably sweet. Slowly she turned around to face him. "Yes, Lord Elrond?" Did her voice always squeak so much?

"Come and speak with me for a moment."

"All right." Her heart pounded even more madly as she glided slowly closer to where he stood by the large open window. Elrond smiled at her, and her mouth went dry.

"You brother came to me this morning, full of concern for you."

"He did?" Her cheeks colored. Damn Erestor, damn, damn, damn him.

"He worries that you need more looking after than he can provide."

"I am not a child!" she burst out, but then she covered her mouth with her hand.

"No. Far from it, though to one so old as I perhaps you might seem as such. Forgive me."

"You are not so old," she blurted out. Elrond chuckled.

"I wondered, my dear, if it was not time you sought a husband."

"A…a what?" She was even more mortified.

"I hate to see you so lonely."

Isilwen bent her head, unable to look him in the eye any longer. "I am not so lonely," she lied. Well, it was true when Rúmil and Orophin were around, but now they were leaving…

"I know many suitable Elves who would be glad to take you to wife," Elrond went on gently.

"If that is what my lord desires, so be it," Isilwen said obediently, without feeling.

"What of the Lorien Elves? I know you call Orophin and Rúmil friend…"

"I do, but only friend."

"Is there no one to whom you would give your love?"

Isilwen looked up into Elrond's eyes. They were deep pools of dark emerald, so dark green that they were nearly black, like the heart of the forest. She wanted to lose herself in that forest. "Only you," she said without thinking.

"Me?"

"I have loved you always, Lord Elrond." There, she had said it. Erestor would kill her, but she had said it.

"You are of age with my daughter."

"I care not. You are as lonely as I am, are you not?" she whispered, daring to lift a hand to his cheek. How long had she envisioned this moment? Consequences be damned. Let him know the truth. She waited for him to push her away, but instead his arms came around her waist and he pulled her closer, looking ever still into her eyes, his expression grave.

Slowly Elrond lowered his mouth over hers. Isilwen thought her heart would burst with its racing. His kiss was masterful. It was not heated and urgent, as Haldir's had been. It was slow and seductive. He stroked her mouth with a patience that the Marchwarden lacked. And yet, despite her shattering nerves, the kiss was not all she expected. It did not make her burn in the way which Haldir's kiss had. Why was this?

She sighed against his lips. He lifted his head and smiled at her tenderly. "What a temptation you are," he said. "I fear Erestor would not be pleased if I gave in to you."

"No. He would be deeply embarrassed," she admitted. "Equally so that I should have dared say these things to you."

"Think not that your affections have ever been lost upon me, Isilwen. I am flattered."

"You cannot reciprocate. I have ever known this."

"On the contrary, I could reciprocate all too easily."

She grew faint with his admission. Still he held her close against him. "Oh," she said, filled with wonder.

"I have lived too long not to realize what a great gift love is," Elrond said. "I have had many lovers, but few loves. Yes, too easily could I take you into my heart. Yet I fear this would bring you more harm than good. Celebrian waits for me in the west, and soon shall we go there."

"I would suffer for all time to know you had loved me for one hour," Isilwen said passionately.

"I would not wish you to suffer for even one hour."

"Then share with me what time we have left in the Middle-earth. When the time comes for you to sail, I shall stay behind and live with the memory of your generosity."

"Isilwen…" he sighed her name, as if he meant to try again to push her gently away, but then instead he kissed her once more. She clung to him, alive with hope that at last the dream she had cherished for so many centuries would at last come to life.

There came from the hallway a huge clattering, and a sound like nothing she had ever heard before. Alarmed, Elrond lifted his head and gazed towards the door, as if he understood in it something she did not.

"Quickly, you must hide," he said. He pulled open the false front of one of the bookshelves and pushed her inside. There was only room for one Elf, so he closed her in. She panicked for a moment in the blackness, but then he adjusted a panel that she might see out into the library. "Do not come out until you are sure it is safe," he hissed.

She saw him step away from the bookshelf back towards the window. On the wall hung a sword, mostly decorative, but Isilwen knew the blade still to be sharp. Elrond lifted it off the wall then whirled back towards the door as it burst open. Uruk-hai warriors began to pour into the room. Isilwen had to press her fingers to her lips to keep from crying out. How could she stay in here and watch as they slaughtered him?

A million questions raced through her mind. Where on earth had they come from? Why had there been no warning? How had they gotten into the palace? And what of the other Elves of Rivendell? Where were they? There would be no answers for now.

She did not dare leave the hiding place and distract Elrond. Isilwen knew well that a distraction could mean a fatality in battle. Elrond swung the sword with grace and power. The first of the monsters through the door was felled instantly, but it was followed by too many others. A third and a fourth Elrond took down. Blood flowed around the blade, staining the library floor.

Three of the creatures rushed him at once. One dived for his knees, knocking him down. Elrond jammed the sword into the gut of another, but it was ripped from his hand as it fell on top of him, pinning him down. Isilwen felt tears running down her face as she stood watching helplessly. She wanted to run to his side.

An Uruk-hai dressed in a better quality of armor than his fellows entered the room, then, his eight fellows carousing the library to make sure no one was hidden in the stacks. Luckily for Isilwen, it never occurred to them to look inside a shelf as well as around it. The big monster was apparently the leader of the group. He kicked the dead Uruk off of Elrond and motioned for the other two to haul him to his feet.

"I command you to leave at once!" Elrond said regally, standing noble even though he was held tightly by two Uruks, but they only laughed at him.

"Yes," said the leader. "You are the Elf known as Elrond of Rivendell. I am Trallanz."

"This is my home, and you are not welcome -- Trallanz."

"No," said the big Uruk, chuckling, "This is my home, and you will count yourself lucky for every moment of life we grant you."

"I would sooner die than accept you into my home."

"You very well may." The monster leaned over Elrond, leering at him. Isilwen could practically smell its foul breath. "Do you care for the lives of your people, Lord Elrond? They are all my prisoners, save two who fell outside. Until you are fully cooperative, they will remain as such. If you do not obey me in every way, they will die one by one."

"How do I know you will not slaughter them all, anyway?"

"You will simply have to trust me. If you do not, I can make it easy by killing you now. You are, after all, the only hope for your people."

Elrond was silent for a long moment. Finally he spoke, and Isilwen could hear the grief heavy in his voice. "I will do as you ask."

"I thought you might," said Trallanz. "Bring him. I have seen the room where this King of Elves rests, and I would have it for my own. There he will stay as my special guest."

The Uruk-hai guffawed and filed out of the room, dragging Elrond with them. Isilwen stayed hidden in the false shelf. She wiped at the tears that flowed down her face. Was she the only Elf not taken prisoner in the raid? What was she to do? She had to find a way to free Elrond and the rest of the Elves.

Yet she was just one maid. How could she be the only hope for Rivendell?

Hours passed, and still she found not the nerve to emerge. She found she could do nothing but shake and tremble, terrified, as the events of the morning played out again and again before her eyes. She had come so close to paradise, and instead she found herself in torment.

Isilwen put her hand on the inside of the shelf, taking a deep breath. She had to go out. She had to find help. Before she could push it open, the door to the library swung quietly open and two figures crept stealthily in. Elves! Her heart rose in her chest. And -- and it was Erestor and Haldir! They were both armed to the teeth with swords and bows.

"This is all your fault," Haldir muttered to Erestor.

"My fault!"

"Yes."

"I do not see how you can say that. How was I to know that we would be attacked by Uruk-hai?" Erestor muttered.

Haldir did not reply, and Isilwen guessed it was because he did not have a good answer. "Five dead in here. Elrond put up a good fight."

"I would expect no less of him."

"Nor would I."

"Haldir-- do you think he is dead?"

"I cannot say. I hope, with all my heart, that it is not so."

"And my sister?" Isilwen heard the anguish in her brother's voice. "I could not bear to lose her. She is all I have in the world."

"Much like my brothers are to me," Haldir replied.

Erestor's words gave her the strength she needed to slip out of her hiding place. At the sound of the shelf creaking open, both Haldir and Erestor drew their bows. She found herself face to face with deadly sharp arrows.

"Isilwen!" Erestor lowered his weapon at once. Haldir did the same. "You are safe!"

"Lord Elrond saved my life," she whispered. "He put me into his hiding space."

"Is he dead, then?" Haldir asked.

"No," Isilwen said shaking her head, "And I know where they are keeping him."