"And so you lied to keep me safe?" Evelyn checked with Legolas as they sat beside each other on the grass, looking onto the lake. Legolas had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her nestled close to him by his side, her head resting on his shoulder.
"I did," Legolas mumbled, his thumb stroking over her shoulder as her eyes shut, serenity coming over her for a moment. "I am to be married and I did not think I could find a way from it. I did not want you to long for me and wither away, Evelyn. I thought that I had to break your heart so that you could mend it. If I told you how I truly felt then I was worried that I would not have been able to give you what you wanted."
Evelyn listened to him for a second before moving from leaning against his side and sitting up, her eyes narrowing as Legolas arched a brow in her direction. Evelyn sighed solemnly and shook her head, a smile moving onto her face.
"Ada sent me here because he knew you would be here," Evelyn said and Legolas nodded to confirm. "I knew there was a reason for it!"
"He sent you because he thought you deserved a chance of happiness." Legolas informed her, pushing her dark curls behind her ears as his hand lingered on her neck. "He saw no future for you if I was to marry and you stay here. But, if I decided to do the right thing then you would be safe and happy. Lord Elrond gave me a second chance and for that I am eternally indebted to him for that."
"Do you think you made the right choice?" Evelyn asked, standing up, feeling the dampness from the grass on her dress as she did so. Legolas hastily jumped up besides her, watching as she seemed more intent on fixing her dress after she had asked him the question. He just knew that she was nervous of the answer and did not want to look too effected by his answer. Evelyn always was one to play things coyly. He supposed it was a trait which he loved about her.
Legolas drew his hand upwards, capturing her cheek between his fingers and turning her head to face him and her lips parted gently, a small breath coming out and hitting his fingertips.
"Many will say that I have made the worst mistake imaginable," he told her. "Many would say that giving up the throne is reckless and irresponsible."
"I fail to care what many would say," Evelyn mumbled, seemingly being pulled closer to him as he smiled softly, his eyes lightening as he looked onto her.
"In that case," Legolas spoke, "I believe I have made the best decision of my life."
She smiled at him and he back at her. She reached for his hand and held it tightly in her own.
"I cannot ask you to give up your throne for me, Legolas," she whispered. "I cannot ask you to leave everything for me...if there was a way for you to persuade your father to stop the marriage then maybe...maybe things will be better."
"Evelyn," Legolas drawled her name, sensing she was on the path to hyperventilation as he tried to soothe her. "I shall speak to my father about this. If he remains stubborn regarding the matter then my mind has been made up. I do not ask for you to feel guilty about anything which will happen nor do I want you to. This is my choice, Evelyn."
She nodded once at him, thinking about what he was possibly giving up for her and he kissed her on the forehead, his lips lingering there for a few moments whilst she closed her eyes, a sudden sweep of tiredness coming over her. Legolas felt her body relax and smiled again. It seemed Evelyn had turned into quite the sleeper.
"You should take some rest," Legolas said and she shook her head, standing tall to look at him, her curls bouncing around her face as she furiously shook her head and he chuckled at her stubbornness.
"I'm not tired," she assured him. "Really, I am not."
"The look on your face tells me differently."
"Are you implying I do not look at my best?" she cocked her head in his direction, the taunting tone in her voice being picked up by him and he shook his head at her.
"No," he said. "You are beautiful regardless of anything. One of the most beautiful elves I have seen."
"Flattery will not get you anywhere," Evelyn whispered, nudging him in the shoulder and he laughed heartedly at her.
"I do not flatter you," he promised her. "I simply tell you the mere truth. Come, we shall rest in my room."
"You do not have a room," Evelyn pointed out. "You have a small hole against a tree with a bed and a white cloth to cover it."
"You sounded very regal just then," he told her and she widened her eyes, her mouth dropping open slightly whilst Legolas smirked to himself.
"I am not regal!" she snapped back at him, her hand hitting against his shoulder before he caught it in his own, holding her knuckles to his lips. She rolled her eyes at him as he held her hand and led her back towards the small room which the Lady of the Woods had been so kind to grant to him.
"I cannot believe you just accused me of being regal," Evelyn mumbled as she walked closer to him and Legolas smirked, looking over to where Aragorn sat on his small bed, his sword held in his hand as he looked upon it, making sure it was sharp.
The ranger looked over to where Evelyn was walking and he instantly stood up as the dark haired elf came to a halt and Legolas looked between the pair of them as they stared at each other.
"How is she?" Aragorn asked her and Evelyn remained silent for a moment, thinking about her sister and how she was feeling. Arwen was often a closed book to Evelyn, only opening up her feelings when she had to.
"She continues," Evelyn simply whispered. "She longs for you to return to her."
Aragorn said nothing more; not knowing what else there was for him to say in response to what he had just been informed. He slowly looked to Legolas who remained emotionless. He was sure the blonde elf knew about him and Arwen. Evelyn would have said something to him in the past and the question which Aragorn had just asked was pretty obvious to a smart elf like the bowman.
Turning on his heel, Aragorn returned to his cot, sitting down and resuming his previous position with his sword whilst Legolas turned to look down to Evelyn who was staring onto Aragorn, not understanding how he must feel.
"Let us go, my love," Legolas whispered, his lips next to her ear and she nodded at him and the pair of them moved into the room which he had.
"Arwen should be here," Evelyn whispered, perching herself onto Legolas's bed whilst he checked his bow and arrow, making sure it was still in place. He turned his head, looking at her back whilst she remained still, her hands resting in her lap and her eyes downcast onto them.
"She should be here to see him. Why is it only I who is here?"
"Aragorn knows how your sister feels, Evelyn," Legolas told her.
"That is not the point, Legolas," Evelyn whispered, well aware that the ranger was not far away. Legolas picked up his bow, his hands running along the edge of it as Evelyn turned her head over her shoulder, looking at him.
"There is no use in thinking about it, Evelyn," Legolas assured her. "If I had not been so foolish previously then you would not be here now. You would be back in Rivendell and safe."
"I am safe here, am I not?" Evelyn checked with him, smiling a little as she saw her bow still sat in his quiver. "Besides, you sleep with a bow and arrow if anything were to happen."
"Aye," Legolas nodded, sitting back beside her, his bow still in his hands. "You would be protected, that is true. I am still a fine shot."
"Oh," Evelyn said; a small smirk on her face. "I meant how I could protect myself. I trust my own aim more than yours."
"Your wit has been ever missed," Legolas promised her and she giggled lightly, not recognising the sound coming from her own mouth.
He quickly kissed her cheek before she moved to lie on his bed, her back resting against the comfort and her head against the pillow whilst Legolas just looked down onto her.
"It is improper for the Prince of Mirkwood to be with someone in his bedchamber other than his betrothed," Evelyn said and Legolas nodded in agreement but proceeded to lie besides her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as her hand rested atop of his chest.
"As far as I am concerned, I am no longer betrothed," Legolas told her in a whisper. "If I come through this then I assure you that I will be by your side forever more, Evelyn."
"I have no doubt," Evelyn whispered. "When do you leave?"
"First light tomorrow," Legolas mumbled, thinking about the task at hand. Evelyn pushed herself onto her elbow, her hand moving into his hair and parting the fine blonde locks whilst he watched her with wonder.
"I do not long for you to go," Evelyn whispered. "I do not know what will happen to you. If I had my way then I would come with you."
"Luckily you do not have your way," Legolas spoke curtly, his voice holding a tone of authority. "You do not know what is out there, Evelyn. The horrors are beyond your imagination. When we lost Gandalf...we..."
"Gandalf?" Evelyn spoke quickly, shock coming onto her face as she looked at him. "What happened to Gandalf?"
"He...we lost him, Evelyn...we lost him in the Mines of Moria." Legolas told her, shaking his head as he did so.
"I did not know. I could not help but see you when you first entered...nothing else occurred to me..."
"No," Legolas said. "I can imagine. We travel on without his guidance. I often wonder if there is anymore which we could do to save him. It all happened incredibly fast."
"I am sure you did your best, Legolas," she promised him and he closed his eyes for a moment, allowing the memory to be consumed in his mind as to what had happened.
And then Evelyn thought about how she would feel if her own love was snatched away from her so sudden. She did not know what to think about anything.
"Middle Earth is not like the haven you know in Rivendell, Evelyn. It is falling. People are being tainted. I will have you go nowhere out there."
"How would you feel if it was me out there, Legolas?" she wondered. "How would you handle it not knowing what was happening?"
"It is irrelevant, Evelyn. I am the one who is going into this war and not you. We do not need to imagine such scenarios. You shall go back to Rivendell and be safe, Evelyn. Your father will make sure of that." Legolas told her, the tone in his voice made her believe that she should not mess with what he was telling her. He was being deadly serious.
"I am good with a bow and arrow, Legolas. You have seen me," Evelyn merely stated. Legolas sat up quickly, his eyes glaring onto her as he shook his head furiously. He moved off the bed, his hands dropping onto his hips whilst Evelyn sat up, resting on her knees on the bed.
"We are not having this discussion, Evelyn," Legolas told her sternly. "I cannot believe you are even thinking that this could be an option?"
"Why?" Evelyn challenged his hard gaze. "Is it because I am a female?"
"Your place is not among us!" Legolas fumed. "You do not belong in war! No female has ever belonged in a war!"
"Why do you believe me to be so inept?"
"I do not believe that," Legolas complained to her persistent tones and she bit her cheeks in frustration. "I know you are skilled with a bow and arrow but this is not something which we are going to speak of! You will go back to Rivendell and be with your father."
"And you expect me to sit there and just wait for your return?" she wondered. "Or wait for news of you being lost? Do you think I can handle that?"
"You must," Legolas urged her. "Your sister is doing just that."
"She has something which I do not," Evelyn informed Legolas who watched her for a second, caring for an explanation of her words. "She has hope. She believes that you will succeed in this mission. She is confident of it."
"And you are not?" Legolas wondered.
"How can I be?" Evelyn counteracted. "You have lost Gandalf. I do not share her optimism of you succeeding."
"That does not give you a valid reason to come along," Legolas promised her. "We shall speak no more of it. You return to Rivendell and that is final. You have misconstrued images of what lays out there. There is more than simply being good with a bow and arrow. Thousands of enemies are in Middle Earth and most of them would not think twice about killing you."
"And that is it, is it?" Evelyn asked him, standing up. "Your word is final?"
"In this matter, yes," Legolas confirmed and she folded her arms across her chest. "I do not intend to fight with you, Evelyn. I want to treasure what time we have together and not spend it arguing over something which is irrelevant."
"I am not arguing," Evelyn denied to him and he arched a brow.
"Were you not?" he asked her. "Then what were you doing? It seemed as if arguing was what we were doing."
"I was merely putting my point across," she said. "You probably need your rest."
She moved to leave the area but Legolas took hold of her round the waist, stopping her from moving off. He drew her closer to him and she remained looking over his shoulder whilst he looked into her eyes.
"I do not intend to let you leave my company," he said and she quickly glanced at him, pouting towards Legolas who began to soften slightly. "We have one night left before we part, Evelyn. I am not wasting it."
"We need not part," she mumbled and Legolas did something unlike of him in a roll of his eyes. Both of his arms snaked around her and drew her tightly against him.
"Please stop," Legolas urged her. "Just...lie with me once more?"
Evelyn did not say anything for a moment until one of his slim fingers curled underneath her chin, drawing her to look onto him and into his pleading eyes.
"Please?" he asked and she groaned, unable to resist the look which he gave her.
"Fine," she muttered under her breath and he kissed her quickly, once again taking her breath away with the tenderness of his lips upon hers.
"I say," a sudden voice coughed and Legolas dropped his hold from Evelyn and turned to the side, his heart leaping in his chest, the irrational part of him wondering if Lord Elrond had suddenly appeared or Galadriel. For neither would appreciate the sight which they would stumble upon.
Legolas frowned once he saw the dwarf stood by, a pipe in his mouth and a grin visible on his face even from beneath the beard. Evelyn quickly glanced across to him and Legolas wrapped his arm back around her waist, his face slightly annoyed with Gimli.
"Is something the matter, Gimli?" Legolas wondered and the dwarf puffed out the smoke from his mouth whilst shaking his head.
"Nothing at all," Gimli told him. "I just wonder what is happening."
"I am sure your eyesight is not that terrible that you fail to decrypt it," Legolas spoke up. "Now, if you are finished spying then you should maybe get some rest."
"Do not presume to tell me what to do, you elvish princeling," Gimli snapped.
"And where were you going when you passed us?" Legolas wondered. "I presume it was to rest?"
Gimli puffed out another cloud of smoke in annoyance, balling his hands into fists by his sides.
"Humph," Gimli snapped. "I shall be on my way then."
Legolas turned back to look at Evelyn who could not help but smirk at what she had just seen.
"I assume you two do not get along?" Evelyn said and Legolas chuckled.
"I do not know where you got that idea from," he laughed before moving back to lie on the bed. Evelyn did the same, moaning at the skirts to her deep blue gown as she rested upon his chest.
She did not say anything to him, not needing to declare anymore of her feelings whilst he too remained silent, thinking about their earlier disagreement. He would make sure that she would not follow him if it was the last thing which he did.
...
A/N: Thanks again to anyone who has decided to follow this and who has put it into their favourites! Means a lot guys! Thank you to ByolHana XxNaixX and Gg for reviewing the previous chapter!
Do let me know what you think!