What Happens When You Close Your Eyes
Disclaimer + A/N: Forewarning- I've yet to read any of the books aside from "The Hobbit", so if I kill the concept, flame me or something and make me stop! Thank you! LOTR isn't mine, but, as I said before, Legolas is tied up in my closet. Nelanna belongs to me. I apologize for the unoriginal storyline, but it was dying to be written. Please R+R!!! Flames accepted and embraced, ^_^!!
~*~
Nelanna was too tall, gawky, green-eyed, red-haired, and didn't fit in with elf society in any way, shape, or form. Oddly enough, she was friends with Legolas, the very embodiment of the perfect elf. Blue eyes, blonde hair, a soft voice and quiet demeanor... They contrasted like night and day, Nelanna fire and Legolas ice. And for some strange, inexplicable reason, they got along better than most.
The fire-haired elf ran down the marble steps and into the forest, her too long legs stumbling occasionally on roots and pebbles that not even an elf drunk on the headiest wine would fail to notice. Stopping her reckless flight eventually by a small pond, Nelanna sat by the water and watched her reflection warp and twist in the ripples made as the autumn leaves fell.
"What has upset you this time, Nelanna?" a smooth voice asked gently from behind her.
"How did you find me Legolas?" the elf inquired, trying to change the subject.
"You run like a wounded bear, girl," Legolas said, sitting next to her and trailing his fingers in the water. "And you can't change the subject so easily with me," he added, smiling.
Nelanna sighed. "I shouldn't burden you with my problems."
"Instead you bring down the forest with your footsteps. I see."
She splashed water at him. "I know I'm gawky. Why must you continue to bring it up?"
Legolas looked a little awkward. "Lady Ino told me to find you and tell you that unless you were quieter-footed, she would have to move your bedchamber away from the hospital wing. You're waking the patients."
"In that case, I'd run louder. I hate living there. But I suppose... I suppose it doesn't matter any more... And since when have you acted as messenger boy for the nurses?"
"Since I saw the size of the scalpels they have in their supply closet."
They laughed, but Legolas wasn't about to let Nelanna off. "Why WERE you running like that? And what do you mean, it doesn't matter any more?"
"You know why I'm here at all, don't you?" she asked slowly.
"You're father wanted a spy in this city," Legolas said, smiling.
"You ARE the only one who knows that, right?" Nelanna inquired guiltily.
"Yes, and it shall stay that way, worry not. But what does that have to do with anything?"
Nelanna took a deep, shaky breath. "Father's decided that the best way to keep an eye on the city is to have a relation to someone in a high place. And since I'm not the kind of elf that usually gets elected to anything... Father's marrying me to Lord Tanon."
For a long moment, Legolas sat, stunned. Lord Tanon was an ancient, surly elf, who had been married seven times and had killed each of his wives in his often-happening drunk rages. The only reason he was so high in society was because of his tremendous donations to various important causes, also given while drunk.
"He- He can't do that... Does he not care for your happiness? Your well-being? Your very LIFE?" Legolas burst out, nearly yelling. It was the angriest Nelanna had ever seen him. His deep blue eyes were blazing, and he had jumped to his feet, and was pacing the small grove.
Quietly, sounding hurt and full of sorrow, Nelanna replied, "No..."
Legolas sat next to her again. "We have to do something about this. Tanon will KILL you, Nelanna! There has to be a way out of this..." he said, despairing.
Looking into his eyes, full of worry for her, Nelanna could think of a way. But to propose it... Not her. Never her. Nelanna wasn't the sort of elf Legolas deserved. He ought to have a black haired, green-eyed elf, someone not too tall, fair skinned, quiet... Proper. And Nelanna was NOT proper, nor was she any of those things.
But, looking into his eyes, drinking in the emotion she saw there, and he looking back... She knew that wasn't what he was thinking. He wasn't thinking of the why nots...
"Nelanna, there is a way-" he started.
Thundering hooves interrupted him, and broke the spell. Legolas and Nelanna looked up. Two mounted elves stared down at them, trying to conceal their expressions of disdain. "We've come for the Lady Nelanna," one said.
Nelanna hesitated. Here was everything she had dreamed of. The feelings Legolas invoked in her- It would be torture living without him, as she knew she would if she mounted the third horse brought for her. Lord Tanon would lock her away in his home, concealing her, and she would never see Legolas again. But if she stayed, ignored her Father's commands... That was unknown, but she was sure her father would not take the news lightly.
"I- I am Nelanna," she said, voice shaking. Legolas stood with her, his hand light, but strong, possessive on her arm. She could feel his golden hair brush her shoulder, and her heart broke.
The elves looked down at her with something not unlike pity. "Then you are to come with us. The Lord Tanon sends his wishes that you be prepared for the ball he is putting on tonight, in honor of his newest acquisition." The speech sounded rehearsed, and probably was.
Nelanna mounted the horse, tears in her eyes.
"Nelanna, you can't do this! You can't marry an elf who calls you an ACQUSITION! You- You can't do this..." Legolas protested feebly, but he too knew the power of her father.
As Nelanna rode away, led by the elves to Lord Tanon, trying to forget Legolas as he stood dejectedly in the clearing, a single tear slid silently down her cheek. "I won't forget you," she whispered to the wind.
Disclaimer + A/N: Forewarning- I've yet to read any of the books aside from "The Hobbit", so if I kill the concept, flame me or something and make me stop! Thank you! LOTR isn't mine, but, as I said before, Legolas is tied up in my closet. Nelanna belongs to me. I apologize for the unoriginal storyline, but it was dying to be written. Please R+R!!! Flames accepted and embraced, ^_^!!
~*~
Nelanna was too tall, gawky, green-eyed, red-haired, and didn't fit in with elf society in any way, shape, or form. Oddly enough, she was friends with Legolas, the very embodiment of the perfect elf. Blue eyes, blonde hair, a soft voice and quiet demeanor... They contrasted like night and day, Nelanna fire and Legolas ice. And for some strange, inexplicable reason, they got along better than most.
The fire-haired elf ran down the marble steps and into the forest, her too long legs stumbling occasionally on roots and pebbles that not even an elf drunk on the headiest wine would fail to notice. Stopping her reckless flight eventually by a small pond, Nelanna sat by the water and watched her reflection warp and twist in the ripples made as the autumn leaves fell.
"What has upset you this time, Nelanna?" a smooth voice asked gently from behind her.
"How did you find me Legolas?" the elf inquired, trying to change the subject.
"You run like a wounded bear, girl," Legolas said, sitting next to her and trailing his fingers in the water. "And you can't change the subject so easily with me," he added, smiling.
Nelanna sighed. "I shouldn't burden you with my problems."
"Instead you bring down the forest with your footsteps. I see."
She splashed water at him. "I know I'm gawky. Why must you continue to bring it up?"
Legolas looked a little awkward. "Lady Ino told me to find you and tell you that unless you were quieter-footed, she would have to move your bedchamber away from the hospital wing. You're waking the patients."
"In that case, I'd run louder. I hate living there. But I suppose... I suppose it doesn't matter any more... And since when have you acted as messenger boy for the nurses?"
"Since I saw the size of the scalpels they have in their supply closet."
They laughed, but Legolas wasn't about to let Nelanna off. "Why WERE you running like that? And what do you mean, it doesn't matter any more?"
"You know why I'm here at all, don't you?" she asked slowly.
"You're father wanted a spy in this city," Legolas said, smiling.
"You ARE the only one who knows that, right?" Nelanna inquired guiltily.
"Yes, and it shall stay that way, worry not. But what does that have to do with anything?"
Nelanna took a deep, shaky breath. "Father's decided that the best way to keep an eye on the city is to have a relation to someone in a high place. And since I'm not the kind of elf that usually gets elected to anything... Father's marrying me to Lord Tanon."
For a long moment, Legolas sat, stunned. Lord Tanon was an ancient, surly elf, who had been married seven times and had killed each of his wives in his often-happening drunk rages. The only reason he was so high in society was because of his tremendous donations to various important causes, also given while drunk.
"He- He can't do that... Does he not care for your happiness? Your well-being? Your very LIFE?" Legolas burst out, nearly yelling. It was the angriest Nelanna had ever seen him. His deep blue eyes were blazing, and he had jumped to his feet, and was pacing the small grove.
Quietly, sounding hurt and full of sorrow, Nelanna replied, "No..."
Legolas sat next to her again. "We have to do something about this. Tanon will KILL you, Nelanna! There has to be a way out of this..." he said, despairing.
Looking into his eyes, full of worry for her, Nelanna could think of a way. But to propose it... Not her. Never her. Nelanna wasn't the sort of elf Legolas deserved. He ought to have a black haired, green-eyed elf, someone not too tall, fair skinned, quiet... Proper. And Nelanna was NOT proper, nor was she any of those things.
But, looking into his eyes, drinking in the emotion she saw there, and he looking back... She knew that wasn't what he was thinking. He wasn't thinking of the why nots...
"Nelanna, there is a way-" he started.
Thundering hooves interrupted him, and broke the spell. Legolas and Nelanna looked up. Two mounted elves stared down at them, trying to conceal their expressions of disdain. "We've come for the Lady Nelanna," one said.
Nelanna hesitated. Here was everything she had dreamed of. The feelings Legolas invoked in her- It would be torture living without him, as she knew she would if she mounted the third horse brought for her. Lord Tanon would lock her away in his home, concealing her, and she would never see Legolas again. But if she stayed, ignored her Father's commands... That was unknown, but she was sure her father would not take the news lightly.
"I- I am Nelanna," she said, voice shaking. Legolas stood with her, his hand light, but strong, possessive on her arm. She could feel his golden hair brush her shoulder, and her heart broke.
The elves looked down at her with something not unlike pity. "Then you are to come with us. The Lord Tanon sends his wishes that you be prepared for the ball he is putting on tonight, in honor of his newest acquisition." The speech sounded rehearsed, and probably was.
Nelanna mounted the horse, tears in her eyes.
"Nelanna, you can't do this! You can't marry an elf who calls you an ACQUSITION! You- You can't do this..." Legolas protested feebly, but he too knew the power of her father.
As Nelanna rode away, led by the elves to Lord Tanon, trying to forget Legolas as he stood dejectedly in the clearing, a single tear slid silently down her cheek. "I won't forget you," she whispered to the wind.