"You are looking rather pale this morning, Evelyn."
Evelyn looked up from the bread which she had just been buttering and across the table to where the blonde elf sat, his goblet held in his hand as he took a sip of water, his eyes never leaving hers as he did so. She caught a glimpse of herself in the silverware and shrugged gently, her eyes narrowing at Legolas as she did so.
"I'm pale most days, Legolas," she reminded him. "I hardly think today is any exception to that trend, do you?"
Legolas pursed his lips for a moment, holding his tongue whilst thinking about what to say in response to her seemingly curt remark. He only supposed he was lucky that Lord Elrond was not present and listening to what the Prince had said about his daughter. He was aware that he wouldn't take too kindly to it even though Legolas had her best interests at heart.
"You are pale skinned," Legolas told her. "You should know that I have not seen skin as fair in all of my years. I just find you to be paler than usual, my dear."
"Flattery will not get you anywhere," Evelyn said and she held the knife in her hand and looked to the waterfall beside her with a small smirk on her lips and Legolas shook his head.
"I was not attempting to flatter you. I was speaking the mere truth," he promised her and she had to remain courteous and say nothing back to the young elf as she heard her father's footsteps approach the dining platform.
"I am very well, thank you, Legolas," Evelyn said politely as Elrond took to the head of the table beside Evelyn, his hand squeezing her shoulder as he went by her. She smiled swiftly across to her father as Legolas remained silent.
"Is something the matter, Evelyn?" Elrond asked her, sitting down and looking at her with his beady eyes and she shook her head, tearing off a small piece of bread and popping it into her mouth, quickly glancing across to the now silent bowman.
"Nothing, Ada," she assured her father. "Everything is well."
"As it should be," Elrond gently smiled and Evelyn ate some more of her bread, pretending to ignore the conversation which was struck up between Legolas and her father regarding the time for the meeting. Elrond didn't give away the location, knowing his daughter was privy to doing her own investigative work when things were held from her.
"Arwen is in the library, my dear," Elrond informed Evelyn once she had finished eating the slice of bread and she held her water to her mouth. One look at her father and she knew that what he had told her had not been a request for her to go to Arwen. If anything it had been an order and Evelyn was not foolish enough to refuse his words.
"I shall go and seek her out then," Evelyn said and Elrond nodded in agreement as she stood up and Legolas did the same, managing not to trip over his chair as his movement remained graceful and elegant. Evelyn bowed her head out of ritual and moved to the steps, walking down them like some sullen teenager who had been informed that they could not stay up past their bed time.
"I am sure that Ada sent you here to keep me contained for this morning," Evelyn said as soon as she saw her sister sat on the bench within the library, the bookshelves encasing her within them as she smirked down onto the book which she read.
"You are too aware of your surroundings," Arwen said. "You always have been, even as a child."
"Yes, well," Evelyn mumbled and slumped down in the single chair by the balcony of one of the few covered rooms. She glanced down onto the road which ran beneath them and noted something rather peculiar in the form of two hobbits racing down the path. Evelyn stood up, stepping out onto the balcony as one of the hobbits fell over in their haste.
She took a quick look back at Arwen who was well aware of what her sister was planning to do without looking up from her book.
"Father will not be happy if you do what I think you will," Arwen told her and Evelyn huffed, looking to the side of her where the small steps led down onto the path. Arwen sighed and finally looked her sister in the eye.
"I cannot keep you here, Evelyn," she told her sister and that was all the encouragement which she needed to move down the steps, clutching at her gown as she tried not to trip over her own feet which she supposed she could easily manage. She ran down the empty pathway before catching up with the smaller beings.
"Wait!" she called out to them and they turned to look at her, folding their arms across their chest at the same time, looking as if they were defending themselves from her. "Is it the meeting which you are about to attend?" she asked them, knowing full well it had started minutes ago and they were not in attendance as her father had mention only one hobbit whilst she had sat with him and Legolas at breakfast.
"No," one lied quickly and looked to the other. "Why would we attend a secret meeting? That's just plain rude."
"What if I were to tell you that I'd love to be in attendance of it too?" she wondered from them and they looked to each other before cocking their heads and nodding at her, moving to either side of her and continuing their walk back up along the path.
"You're not a spy are you?" one worried.
"No," she smiled once. "I am not a spy, merely an intrigued elf."
"How can we trust you?" the other one checked and Evelyn sighed to herself, looking upwards and then back onto the hobbits.
"I am Evelyn, Lord Elrond's daughter," she told them. "You have my word that I am not a spy nor am I going to tell anyone of your sneaking around for I am doing the same and joining you, am I not?"
"She has a point, Pippin."
"I suppose so, Merry."
"Fine," the one named Pippin spoke up. "We've heard of Lord Elrond speaking of his daughter and you do look like him."
"Not that you look manly, of course," Merry interjected quickly and Evelyn continued to beam slightly at hearing them as they neared the meeting area and heard voices speak up. The two hobbits crouched down as they circled the bushes, trying not to make a noise as they heard Lord Elrond speak of a ring. Merry finally settled on his knees in the hidden space behind Lord Elrond whilst Pippin went to the other post to hide behind it. Evelyn settled behind Merry, resting on her knees as her bum dropped onto her heels as she did so.
She listened intently as noise continued moving around the meeting which the men found themselves inside of. Mordor was the topic of conversation and Evelyn remained silent before she felt her pulse quicken at hearing a certain elf's voice speak up, defending Aragorn.
Pippin and Merry continued to look over to each other, not sure what was happening inside of the meeting as the topic of conversation was certainly different to that held in the Shire. Evelyn had to admit that she was struggling to listen to them even with her sensitive ears. She did manage to hear the dwarf who suddenly leapt to his feet and slammed his axe against something which she presumed to be the ring Frodo had brought forwards.
And then her father declared someone needed to destroy the ring. Someone had to go into Mordor. Evelyn pushed her hair behind her ears and listened more intently to the conversation, waiting for someone to speak up. An argument erupted over who should take the ring to Mordor and Evelyn shook her head before silence fell onto the congregation and Frodo spoke up clearly, informing them that he would be the one to do it.
"What?" Pippin exclaimed quickly, looking at Merry with hesitance and fear within his eyes, wondering what Frodo was doing. Merry shrugged at him as others put themselves forwards and Evelyn remained mute, hearing Legolas declare that Frodo would have his bow to protect him. Evelyn placed her hand over her mouth as the two hobbits stood up quickly and contemplated bursting into the meeting.
Evelyn stood onto her feet, grabbing her skirts in her hands and she rushed back from the meeting, not without rustling the bushes as she went and grabbing the attention of a certain blonde haired elf.
...
Evelyn spent her time for that afternoon inside of the library, searching books regarding Mordor as she did so, reading the myths of the ring and the hell inside of middle earth and she failed to believe that he was going to go there. Guards spoke often about Orcs who roamed the countryside and the dangers outside of Rivendell. Elrond liked to keep his daughter's from thinking about the horrors outside the walls of the serene home they had but they were not blind nor were they deaf.
"I see that your lack of understanding orders is still instilled within you."
Evelyn quickly shut the book in her hand before she stood up and placed the book back into the shelf and Legolas placed his hands behind his back and moved further into the library.
"I do not know what you mean," she said to him and he looked at her with an arched brow before moving further into the room.
"Evelyn, do not play coy with me," Legolas spoke to her, a trace of a smile on his lips. "I understand that you have taken to hiding with the hobbits around corners. I saw your hair as you left, my dear."
"Does my father know?"
"You fear the repercussions of your actions from your father; yet, you still go ahead and go against him anyway?" Legolas checked with her and she shrugged haughtily, moving around the library and pretending to look at the books whilst Legolas's smile remained firm on his lips.
"Do you have any idea of what lurks in Mordor?" Evelyn suddenly snapped, turning around and looking at Legolas who folded his arms over his silver tunic. She had finally cracked. "Legolas, you are risking your life!"
"I am aware," Legolas told her and she nodded at him. "I know what I am doing, Evelyn. You need not worry for me, my dear."
"How can I do nothing but worry?" she hissed, glaring at him. "You are going to your death!"
"You do not know that," Legolas shook his head at her and she pursed her lips. "I have to do this, Evelyn. I need to."
"You do not need to do anything, Legolas," Evelyn mumbled back to him. "I'm worried for you."
"You need not worry for me," Legolas promised her with a shake of his head, moving closer to her as she stepped back from him. "I shall be as safe as possible. Your life will continue with or without me, will it not?" Legolas checked with her and she looked at him with wide eyes. "You have managed so well for fifteen years."
"Is that what you think?" Evelyn said, her voice raising an octave higher than normal and she stepped closer to him. "You believe I carried on when you left and did not come back?"
Legolas kept silent for a second as he watched her and she shook her head, turning away from him and moving onto the balcony once again, the fresh air helping her calm down.
"When you left I understood fully. I understood entirely why you went. You believed your kingdom to be under attack...but...you didn't come back, Legolas. You never came back and I...I thought...it was silly of me for even thinking anything could happen," Evelyn concluded, never taking her eyes from the waterfall which stood in front of her.
Legolas sighed but moved out to the balcony, his hand delicately resting onto her waist, his fingers curling around her side and his other hand pushed her hair behind her shoulder and onto her other one. Evelyn shuddered as she felt him near her, his hand finally resting on her bare shoulder.
"My time in Rivendell with you is something which I have treasured for years. It is a memory which I will never forget."
"It clearly was not important enough for you to come back to me, was it?" Evelyn checked with him, turning on her heel and staring into his blue eyes, removing his hand from her neck and waist. "I told you everything, Legolas. I told you everything."
"I know," Legolas said to her, his lids lowered as it seemed to pain him to remember all she had said to him. "And I told you stories I have never told anyone else, my dear. I tried to return but my father would not allow it. I have duties, Evelyn."
"And your duties were more important than me?"
"Of course not," Legolas quickly said, both of his hands grasping onto her hips and drawing her closer to him. "I had to stay for the kingdom, Evelyn. Selfishness is not a trait which I have. I am a Prince."
"I know," Evelyn told him. "I just can't understand, Legolas...I thought I meant something to you...even after fifteen years I know you still mean something to me, Legolas. When I first saw you the other day...I could not...I still cannot understand how I feel."
"Evelyn, my dear," Legolas said her name softly, his finger curling under her chin and drawing her gaze onto his before his finger wiped away a solitary tear from her eyes. "You know I care deeply for you. I do. I need to go and do this."
"I know that I cannot stop you," Evelyn told him. "I have no intention to do so. I do not want anything from you, Legolas. I am simply confused."
"And I am sorry for that," Legolas said sincerely. "When I come back...if I come back...we shall discuss it then, Evelyn. You have my word."
"Don't do that to me," Evelyn said, her voice hurt and she shook her head. "Do not make promises which you may not be able to keep."
"I cannot guarantee you anything, Evelyn," Legolas mumbled, gulping once before he tilted her head back up to look at him. His touch was so light she wondered if he even was touching her skin. She barely registered it. "Only that we will talk if I come back."
"I hope you do," Evelyn told him. "Please be safe, Legolas."
"For you, I will try," Legolas promised her and she nodded, reaching for his hair and pushing it behind his ear. Legolas slowly leant down and pressed his lips to her forehead and closed his eyes.
Evelyn sighed before pulling back from his, wrapping her fingers into his as she stepped back into the library and looked around the darkening room. Legolas followed her in, his arm extended with hers as he stood still.
"You should get some rest, my dear," Legolas said to her.
"When do you leave?"
"First light."
"So this is our goodbye, is it not?" she checked and he nodded solemnly.
"Alas, it is," he confirmed. "I promised that I would say goodbye and I have."
"Yes," Evelyn said, stepping closer to him once again, running her hand down his arm as she did so. "I shall be there tomorrow, Legolas."
"You need not be."
"No," Evelyn said, squeezing his shoulder. "I don't think I am ready to say goodbye to you just yet."
"You are prolonging the inevitable, my dear," Legolas warned her and she kissed his cheek quickly.
"Then I shall prolong it." She told him simply.
...
A/N: I am feeling rather inspired right now! So, I thank everyone who is reading and I do hope that you will review for me to let me know what you think! Pretty please?