A/N – Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. But to make up for it, I'm pleased to inform everyone that it contains the anticipated explicit sexual material I promised so many of you. Hope you all enjoy.


Chapter 9 – Too Far Gone

The Present

Legolas knew Silivrén was standing nearby. He had heard her coming down the path and her scent immediately reached him.

"You should not be here," he said in his serene voice.

"I want to breathe you in while I still can."

"You insist on putting me in a predicament I dare not challenge." He wanted to be angry, but he felt emotionally drained.

"You promised you would never deny me. Do you wish to take it back?"

"Tis a promise I never should have made, do you not see?"

"No, I will never see. You tell me you love me, yet you take me into the arms of another."

Legolas closed his eyes as tears began to fill them. To be reminded of the love he had for her was agonizing. Every day that passed, a piece of his heart seemed to rip away. He blamed himself…he never should have let it happen...never should have started anything with her. His own ignorance led him to believe he could detach himself from her when it suited him. Oh how wrong he had been. Rather than separating himself, he was unable to contain his emotions…until he found himself bound to her with his whole heart. There was no chance now his shattering heart would ever recover from this, for no female had ever held it so powerfully. He had no choice but to sail West once he delivered Silivrén to her betrothed.

But until that time…he could be selfish if he wanted. He had nothing left to lose.

Legolas slid off the boulder and walked toward Silivrén. He saw her eyes drift over him in the bashful manner he was accustomed to. But he could sense the incredible need that poured out of her. Driven by his own hunger, Legolas took her into his arms and possessively claimed her mouth.

Silivrén was surprised at his sudden aggressiveness. But she responded without hesitation by parting her lips and feeling his tongue immediately slip into her mouth. She groaned in relief at the opportunity to fully taste him again. Her hands automatically moved to his face and then to his ears.

Legolas carefully guided her down on the grass. She reached down with one hand to pull at her skirts, giving him freedom between her legs. The feel of his hands on her flesh was enough to undo her and she had to stifle a pleasured cry.

Legolas didn't know what he wanted first, to taste her desire or let her taste his. As she stroked his right ear with one hand and gripped his behind with the other, he knew he wouldn't be able to prolong the need to fill her. He slowly sank himself inside and covered her mouth with his to prevent the cry he knew would follow.

Silivrén regained control of her breathing and arched into his rampant thrusts. Normally their coupling was slow and gentle. But their desperation for each other seemed to cloud their judgments. She found herself digging her nails into the flesh of his behind, urging him at a pace she wasn't used to. In a matter of seconds the familiar wave of unbridled pleasure consumed her and she sank her teeth into his shoulder to keep from screaming out her release.

The moment Legolas felt her tight inner muscles squeezing and milking his elfhood, he found his own release and without thinking he buried himself deeply to plant his seed.

Moments passed in silence as they slowly regained their composure. But Legolas didn't want to release her. When she tilted her face up to him, he kissed her slowly this time, face pressed against hers. "I can't ever say no to you, Erelei."

As he possessively folded his arms around her, holding her close, Silivrén caressed his bare chest and closed her eyes. She absently traced the still fresh scar on his shoulder and thought there was no other place she wanted to be than in his arms.

Reality flooded Legolas's conscience. He cursed himself for his weaknesses…too weak to admit his love for her when he should have and too weak now to walk away. But most of all, he cursed the day the king of Gondor stepped foot on Rhûn soil.


At Nineteen Years of Age

Legolas could barely contain himself when Eldarion walked into the hall with a small contingent of Gondorian guards. Twelve years passed since last he had set eyes on the king of Gondor. He looked so much like Aragorn, Legolas almost believed the ranger himself was standing before him.

King Rataman stood up from his seat at the far end of the hall and greeted King Eldarion with a firm clasp of his shoulder. "I am pleased to finally meet you."

"As am I," replied Eldarion before his eyes curiously shifted to the Elf standing beside the king's throne.

Rataman gestured toward Silivrén. "My daughter, Silivrén." Then he motioned a hand toward Legolas. "Her guardian, Legolas."

Legolas tossed protocol aside and stepped down to greet Eldarion with a brotherly embrace. "Tis good to see you again."

Eldarion grinned from ear to ear. "What in all of Arda are you doing here?" he whispered so no one else could hear.

"Later." Legolas turned to the Rhûn king. "Allow me to see him to the guest quarters."

"Granted."

Legolas led Eldarion and the others away.

Silivrén watched their departure with a curious smile. She had no idea Legolas knew the current king of Gondor. He mentioned his friendship with King Elessar and the Elven queen named Arwen, but he never mentioned their son. She realized there were still so many things she didn't know about Legolas.

§

Eldarion drank an ale while listening to Legolas recount the last nine years in Rhûn. "Sounds like a rather dull task, watching over the king's daughter."

Legolas smiled. "I disagree wholeheartedly. Watching over Silivrén has been anything but dull."

"It's been said she's a rare beauty in these lands. Seeing her up close, I have to admit, she does rival all that I've heard about her."

Hearing Eldarion praise Silivrén's looks suddenly made Legolas feel uncomfortable. He reached for the pitcher of ale and filled his own mug. "How was the going from Gondor?" He wanted to alter the direction of the conversation away from Silivrén.

"A rough twenty-five days, my friend. I dread the return trip, but I intend to go in a westerly direction north of the Rhûn Sea rather than brave the dry sands in the southern route again."

"A sound plan."

Eldarion studied the Elf's face. "You still haven't told me what brought you here, Legolas or why you've chosen to serve this king."

Legolas leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "The Lady of the Stars visited me in a dream and told me my fate lay in a land to the east." He left out one important fact that he wasn't quite prepared to reveal to anyone just yet. There were still unanswered questions he needed to discern before he would ever speak of it.

"Does Varda often visit you in your dreams?" Eldarion asked with a smile.

"Once or twice."

"I can't say I've ever been visited by the Valar in my dreams. It would be quite an honor indeed."

"You don't believe me," Legolas said in good humor.

"Well, you can't blame me. It does sound farfetched. But then again, Elves have been known to frolic with the Valar on many occasions."

Legolas chuckled.

"I've known you all of my life. That's what, sixty-three years? You don't bow to anyone, Legolas, least of all a king whose ancestors enslaved our people for nearly fifty years."

"I hold no grudge against this king. He isn't responsible for what his ancestors did just as much as you are for yours."

"Tis true, but our people never pledged allegiance to Sauron."

Legolas frowned. "You think my coming here means I allege myself with the dark lord?"

"Of course not. I'm just curious as to why you chose this path."

"There is no one left to tie me to Middle-Earth. I can't tell you how hard I tried to bring myself to sail with my kin. How can one leave these shores without the desire to go?"

"My mother often told me you were happier living among humans than Elves."

"Humans have been an endless fascination to me. Arwen knew me well." He took a sip of his ale. "So why have you come this way?"

"You recall the promise I made to my father before he passed. I would do my best to unite the lands of men. Regardless of what they might have done in the past."

"I do recall him asking for your promise."

"Tell me about the Rhûn king. What is he like?"

"He's a reasonable man. I've witnessed both his good side and his bad. You know I don't trust easily, but I would have him at my back in battle. Or any of his soldiers for that matter."

Eldarion gulped the contents of his mug and slapped the tabletop. "We need to go off on an adventure, Legolas. What say you to a trip north and I mean way north?"

Legolas gave him a crooked smile. "I will take you up on your offer, but not just yet."

"When then?"

"When I no longer hold the responsibility as Silivrén's guardian."

"And when does that responsibility end?"

"When she is wed. I won't leave her side until then."

"Then we need to find the girl a husband as quickly as possible." Eldarion raised his mug.

Legolas felt a dull pain in his stomach at the thought of Silivrén with a man...any man. He glanced up to find his friend waiting with a raised mug. Legolas tapped his mug against Eldarion's, reluctantly toasting to Silivrén finding a husband. "Right."

§

Legolas looked at himself in the mirror, smoothing out the front of the tunic Silivrén gave him. He wondered where she found someone so skilled to make it. The work truly seemed to be made by Elves.

"Well?" asked Silivrén, who stood behind him.

He turned around to face her. "How does it look?"

Silivrén allowed her eyes to take in all of him and her lips curled into a smile. "Stunning."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. When she walked to the bed and haphazardly reclined on it, he frowned. "You should dress, Erelei. Your guests await."

She let her wavy ash blonde hair dangle off the edge of the bed, the ends reaching the floor. "I don't feel like attending the festivities."

Legolas walked over and sat beside where she laid on the bed. "Your attendance is not optional. The festivities are in your honor. You celebrate your nineteenth birthday."

"I suppose…if I must." But she didn't move.

"I have yet to give you your gift. Would you like it now or after the festivities?"

"There is only one gift I would want from you, Legolas."

"And what is that?"

She smiled wickedly. "A kiss."

"A kiss?" he mimicked with raised eyebrows.

"And I don't mean on my forehead or on the back of my hand or on my cheek."

Legolas briefly battled his wits. Although she was old enough to experience intimacy, he truly didn't want to initiate something he wouldn't be able to finish. But surely one kiss couldn't possibly do any harm. "Very well, I will give you your kiss." He bent down to her face and with a small smile he pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, he saw the color instantly rise to her cheeks.

Silivrén quickly rolled away from him. "I should get dressed."

He watched her move quickly behind her dressing screen. There was a sudden change in her. He clearly sensed it. And something else…something within himself. An emotion he thought he had under control. But such was not the case. It came pouring out of his heart like a flood erupting through a dam…all this brought upon by a single, innocent kiss. Or had he known these feelings all along and wasn't able to interpret them until now?

When Legolas glanced toward the dressing screen, where behind it Silivrén had removed her casual tunic and was slipping into her gown, he noticed her eyes darting in his direction every few seconds. He knew she had harbored a special affection for him for many years now, but he never thought it would ever amount to anything.

Silivrén finally stepped out from behind the screen wearing her blue gown and approached him. She turned around and as he often did when Teress wasn't present, he fastened the back of it. Oddly though, it seemed far more intimate than on any other occasion. She turned to him again and searched his eyes. "Do I look presentable?"

"You look beautiful, Erelei." Legolas placed his hands on her face and kissed each of her cheeks, ending with her forehead. When she tipped her face upward, he was inches from her lips.

"Hannon le," she whispered. (thank you)

Unaware of his own actions, Legolas slowly brushed his thumb across her lower lip. An overwhelming desire to kiss her again came over him. But he hesitated a brief moment to see if she might object to it. When all he felt was her warm breath against his chin, he slowly closed the gap between them, until his lips lightly pressed against hers in another soft kiss. Their lips remained touching, holding the contact a bit longer.

Legolas parted his lips and grazed over her lower lip with the tip of his tongue. He was relieved when she opened her mouth and allowed him to dip his tongue inside. She raised her tongue to meet his. As their tongues slowly caressed, he relished in the taste of her, so clean and unspoiled. And their lips seemed to fit so perfectly together.

When a soft moan escaped her throat, Legolas knew he needed to stop. It had already gone far enough. He slowly drew away from her lips and moved to the side of her face, resting his forehead against hers. "Forgive me, I meant not for it to go this far."

Silivrén responded by sliding her arms around his neck in an embrace. But he quickly realized it was more than that when she brushed her fingertips along the edge of his left ear.

He immediately seized her wrist, pulling her hand away from his ear. "Don't do that." He quickly released it when he realized how roughly he had grabbed her.

She abruptly pulled away from him and glared at him in confusion. "Then explain why you kissed me again," she said in anger.

Legolas was surprised at her sudden anger. "Silivrén…" He couldn't explain to her what he felt. He couldn't even relate his feelings to himself. He wasn't sure whether he was drawn to her because he suddenly seemed to realize she was a grown woman or if his feelings went beyond anything physical. "I…I don't know why. Please don't be angry with me."

She walked to her wardrobe to retrieve a pair of slippers. "Let us go before papa sends a legion of guards looking for me."

Legolas remained rooted as Silivrén swung the door open and walked out. He didn't understand her anger or who it was directed at. Most of all he didn't understand the feelings spilling out of his heart. It was true, he loved Silivrén…but how was it possible that he could suddenly desire her as a woman. He had known her since she was ten years old and had watched her grow, comforted her in times of sorrow, laughed with her in moments of joy, fought tooth and nail to protect her.

Perhaps he had known it all along. She belonged to him…