As head of the Elven guard, Lilly says that Tauriel is "slightly reckless and totally ruthless and doesn't hesitate to kill." Lilly also says Tauriel is a nonconformist (someone who refuses to follow established customs), and that because of her relative youth among Elves, she can be reckless in the decisions she makes, tending to rebel against the established social order of the Elves. Lilly explains, "She's only 600 years old, she's just a baby. So she's a bit more impulsive, and she's a bit more immature. I think she's more easily romanticized by a lot of things." However, she also has a "softer side", and her character's story has her falling in love with another character. Although she and Legolas are close, childhood friends, the romance is not with him. According to Lilly, Legolas' father, the Elven king Thranduil, is fond of Tauriel, and "sees something very special in her". Lilly told the filmmakers that she would only play the character if they promised that her character would not be part of a love triangle. However, when she was called back into production to shoot new scenes after it was decided to split the story into three films instead of two, she was told that a love triangle would indeed be added to the story.