Once Upon A Dream (Thranduil Fanfic)

Chapter 3-Home Away From Home

Each footstep she took seemed to echo on the underground pathways of the Elven palace. Lanterns in the shape of leaves lined the enclosed halls that would otherwise be completely dark. The sounds of running water came and went as the path rose and fell. Everything seemed to be connected to everything, and Catalina began to wonder if ten years would be enough time to explore the entire underground kingdom.

The silence was becoming quite irritating- even for the usually quiet princess of Asgard-but when all was silent, save for the sounds of the pair's footfalls, the minutes felt more like decades.

Fortunately, as the path began to rise again, Legolas broke the silence.
"Do you know the Elven language my lady?"

"Yes, it is my second language."

"Quite intriguing, I'm impressed. So you understood the king when he was scolding Tauriel and I?" Catalina nodded and she saw the cheeks of the prince tint pink.

Legolas approached a pair of double doors, and upon opening them, allowed Catalina inside.

The contents of the room showed nothing less -if not more- than blue blooded royalty: from the matching wooden furniture, to the silken royal purple bedclothes, to the linen tapestries, and even the floor was scrubbed so clean that one could eat off of it without getting a single grain of dirt. Catalina glanced at the soles of her boots to make sure they were clean before she stepped inside.

"This will be your room," Legolas turned and opened another door, "your washroom is here." He closed the door and made his way to the center of the bedroom. "Your guards brought your luggage so in the time you have before dinner you can unpack and organize your things the way you like. A maid will come in a few hours if you would like to freshen up, and I will be back to fetch you for dinner." He strode back over to the door and bowed his head and bid the princess farewell, then left her alone.

Catalina stepped across the floor over to her luggage. She unclipped the hooks and opened the top, carefully lifting out her belongings and arranging them all out atop her bedspread.

Finally, once everything had been unpacked, Catalina stood back and observed her things. She shook her head, I brought too much.

She picked up a box that belonged to her for decades, a gift from some unknown admirer. No matter how old it was now, Catalina had made sure that the music never died.
Her fingers began to trail the trimming of the lid, but her eyes wandered to a jewelry box that sat lonesome on a corner of the dresser; it wasn't hers. Catalina opened the jewelry box, a single necklace lay on the little silk pillow with a rose pendant, a little diamond in the middle of the rose. The princess raised an eyebrow at it, wondering if it belonged to someone. The design looked vaguely familiar, but she doubted the precious little piece of jewelry could ever be hers. It was designed even to the point that it seemed even the fairest of women would not be worthy of such a necklace. It was much too beautiful. So, she decided to ask a maid about it later, and closed the jewelry box. To distract herself, she opened her music box, and turned her eyes toward organizing her things.

As the music began to play, a little horse figure proceeded to turn along to the music, and Catalina began to mouth the words to the familiar song.

I know you, I walked with you
Once upon a dream.
I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar, a gleam
And I know it's true that visions are seldom what they seem
But if I know you, I know what you'll do,
You'll love me at once,
The way you did
Once upon a dream.

The little horse went around a couple more times, and slowly, along with the music, began to slow down, then finally came to a stop. Catalina smiled and closed the little music box that she loved so dearly. She continued putting away her things, even discovering a dagger holder which she hung on her wall and displayed her daggers on it by size.