Legolas was observing Arwen and Irulan's conversation from a polite distance, and barely keeping himself from striding there in person. Countless options ran through his head over and over again, with unrelenting torture. The variety and diversity of these options was baffling to say the least. But all had one common scenario: Arwen would belittle Irulan. No! More than that: She would look down on Irulan, beat her with cruel words and then tell her that it was beyond ridiculous for someone like her and the Prince to end up as a couple. She would tell Irulan of her own 'values' so to say, comparing herself to his love and make Irulan feel stupid for even daring to think of the option in the first place.
"That woman!" he hissed in fury, clenching his jaw. He observed them halting several times and exchanging (by the looks of it) shocked and excited expressions. His feet silently followed, keeping the distance between himself and the duo. Why, he did not know. Even if he saw something that would definitely call for intervention (and what that could be, he had no idea), he most certainly could not seriously run there and 'save' Irulan from the clutch of that evil creature! More than Arwen's reaction, Legolas feared Irulan's response to such an heroic act.
"Does not matter," he said murmured for the twenty-third time to himself. "What she says has no importance. I will persuade Irulan otherwise. I will convince her that Arwen said all those things because she is jealous and as stubborn as a goat, refusing to accept the fact that there can never be anything between the two of us, for years now!" He took a deep breath, his body moving in perfect synchrony with theirs, the gap between the two women and himself never growing. "Does not matter. I came this far. I will not lose Irulan to some evil elf!"
Unfortunately his heart would not settle down, curse it all! This evil elf happened to be a woman and the combination was simply horrifying, for the lack of a better word.
Right at that moment Aragorn appeared beside him. "Legolas, I have come for an apology," he said with a tense voice. Legolas, caught up in his observation of the two women, did not hear his approach. Not that he always did. Aragorn was the only human he knew who could move without being detected by an elf.
"What apology?"
"About Lady Irulan. You were right."
The Prince turned to face his friend. "No worries, Aragorn. I understand that the events are a little fast-paced for everyone. It certainly is not easy to see her as the queen in a matter of days."
"Nevertheless, it was a mistake. I shall handle it wiser in the future," the ranger replied. At the smile of the Prince, a relief washed over him and he exhaled deftly with the pleasure of it. His eyes glanced to the women, then, and his own anxiety became evident in his features. "What do you think they are talking about?" he asked, swallowing softly.
Legolas took a deep breath. "My doom, would be my guess," he murmured.
"And mine I suppose," added the Chief Advisor with dread, for he was convinced that Irulan was now doing everything in her power to kill the bud of affection that had dared to bloom between himself and the Rivendell princess. An image of Irulan with a sly, dangerous grin plastered on her face and a big, rusted scissor in her hands approaching the single rose bud with predatory calmness came to him, and he shivered despite himself.
"Yours?" was the Prince's confused exclamation and it woke him up.
"I...well...I would assume that..." stammered Aragorn, then blushed lightly and looked away.
The elf, far more intrigued now at this show of embarrassment -knowing that very few things made the advisor uncomfortable- prodded on: "What is the matter, Aragorn?"
"Nothing! Nothing at all, Legolas," the other man managed to choke out, then loudly cleared his throat.
Legolas narrowed his eyes and slowly looked him up and down. "Something IS the matter. Why won't you not tell me?"
"It is nothing, Legolas!" the ranger said with exasperation. "Nothing that concerns you or Lady Irulan, anyway."
"Which leaves Lady Arwen and yourself, I presume," was the slow deduction. When Aragorn gulped and still refused to make eye contact, the elf's mouth almost fell open with surprise. "You like her!"
"W-what?!" boomed Aragorn, "I don't know what you are talking about!"
"Oh yes you do! You like Lady Arwen!"
"Sire," hissed the other man, hastily looking around if anyone had overheard the elf's rather loud exclamation, "Can you please...I mean...let's not talk about such ridiculous…-"
"Deny it then," the Prince countered loftily, crossing his arms on his chest.
"Well...I do not....LIKE her," Aragorn finally replied with a careful tone. It was only true - he loved her. Liking was an understatement.
Legolas's brows furrowed in confusion. He glanced at the women who had resumed their walking, then back at Aragorn. Any other would have been convinced. Not Legolas, who had known the Ranger since they had both been little children. He was, after all, his best friend. And on top of that, the Prince happened to be an elf who loved to observe and analyze. A long silence set in as his brain worked over the past incidents that had brought the Ranger and the Princess together and he tried to remember their reactions to one another. A long string of minutes passed before he spoke again, this time his tone evidently low and astonished: "You LOVE her."
At that a distinctive color crept up Aragorn's cheeks and the advisor pursed his lips in anger. "Legolas," he began with suppressed temper, "I don't want to…-"
"And you never told me!" the Prince continued in awe, ignoring him completely. "All this time! I am your best friend, Aragorn!"
Aragorn, defeated now for good, just massaged his face for a moment. A tired sigh and his infamous shrug followed. "It would have changed nothing."
"That is not true!" exclaimed Legolas, his mind still in shock as to how such a thing, happening right under his nose, had evaded his realization for years. 'I was probably too busy trying to run from Arwen!' he thought deftly. "I could have helped."
"Helped?" was Aragorn's surprised reply as he finally turned to lock eyes with his friend. "How exactly, Prince Legolas?"
"Well," the other said with slight unease and shifted on his feet, crossing his arms on his chest again, "I...I would have thought of something! For one thing, I would have given you more errands that would have required visits to Rivendell," he finished with a slight grin.
Aragorn smiled in return and shook his head. "It wouldn't make a difference, I assure you. Lady Arwen doesn't even SEE me. Her eyes perceive only...you," he added almost inaudibly.
The elf did not divert his gaze from him as he stopped to think. "You loved her. And you never made a move, did you?" he said finally. When Aragorn remained silent and refused to lock eyes with him, he continued: "Alas, perhaps a few weeks ago, I would have done so, myself. It is a shame that we did not acquire Lord Gimli's book before."
The Ranger chuckled to that. "I must admit that the change it has caused in you is evident. You were always so...reserved and...well must I say it....STIFF, Legolas."
The Prince smiled one of his beautiful smiles. "Once I broke the barrier, I realized that my well-mannered times had been a waste, my friend. I suppose I had a different idea of how a man should be, before. Master Gimli has helped me to understand and change that."
"Is that so?" Aragorn said in amusement. "So all the fortress conquering and the battles for victory and the devious schemes to win wars actually work For women of lesser complexity, perhaps. But I seriously doubt that, after having met the likes of Lady Irulan or Lady Arwen."
"The pleasure is in the quest itself, Aragorn," laughed Legolas then. "I have never felt so alive in my life!" He cocked his head and smiled slyly. "YOU of all people, should understand the excitement of the hunt. The rush of battle. The obsession to be victorious. We have too long a common history for me not to know that."
"You might be right after all," was the slow reply.
"Oh I am," Legolas said softly, his gaze wandering to Irulan and Arwen again as another smile invaded his lips. "I have come to regret every moment I have hesitated or suffered indecision with Irulan," He sighed, momentarily lost in thought. "So much wasted time! Foolish thoughts and fears held me back, when I should have just moved ahead and broken the wall between us far sooner!" He turned back to Aragorn and locked eyes once more. "You, too, have wasted time, Aragorn. Arwen is no ordinary woman, yes, but I doubt that she would have managed to resist a man of your determination and skill for too long. But you stood aside, deeming her lost before you even attempted a battle. It is not your way."
"No, it is not," the man said slowly.
"And it shall not be, from now on," was the careful remark, posed slightly as a question.
"From now on," Aragorn sighed, "I don't think we will have anything to worry about, at all. Lady Irulan knows of my affection and...well...she is not very fond of me at the moment," he finished dryly.
Legolas blinked at that. "She KNOWS? But...how?"
Aragorn shrugged. "Women!"
Legolas forced his mouth to close and pursed his lips. For Irulan to discover something that he had been blind to for years... "I am certain that Irulan would never engage in anything that would cause harm to you or to her," he said finally. "She is an immensely good person, Aragorn. I can not imagine her doing such a thing on purpose!"
Aragorn only rolled his eyes. Good thing the Prince didn't know that Irulan was here only for her own interests and her end of the deal, and not to return his affection. "I trust no woman," he said a long moment later. "They are and will remain creatures of mysterious aims and means to me. And I mistrust everything I can not understand."
"But I trust Irulan completely," Legolas replied with a gentle tone. "Just I like trust you, Estel."
'And that, my friend, is a mistake,' thought Aragorn, but did not speak it out loud. The feeling of guilt that was a natural result of his meddling behind his best friend's back, came again and when he saw the approach of Gimli and Gandalf, he felt relieved that the conversation between himself and the Prince was over.
****
Eowyn came running towards the women. Irulan, instantly recognizing her, but feeling astonished by her beauty anyway, stopped in mid-step. Eowyn arrived shortly and ran into her, embracing her fiercely, and she barely kept herself from tripping over her long gown.
"Irulan!" was the happy screech of a greeting.
Irulan, coughing from the lack of breath in her lungs, finally managed to pry herself off the blonde woman. "Eowyn, don't kill me, woman!" Even though a part of her mind kept on singing of how Eowyn needed drastic punishment for her deeds from yesterday, she could not help breaking into a chuckle, too. "You look magnificent!" she said finally, her gaze sweeping over the other's green gown.
"Thank you. You look...wait...the same?" was the cheeky reply. "Doesn't make you less fascinating though," was the addition.
"We shouldn't talk about OUR looks while we are in the presence of sheer beauty," Irulan laughed and introduced Eowyn to Arwen. The blonde woman shook the hand of the elf vehemently and immediately delved into an inquiry about famous Rivendell while Arwen, openly shocked by such enthusiasm, tried to keep up with the unrelenting bombardment of questions. Irulan watched them in bemusement for a while. Then her gaze wandered to the awaiting five men and instantly she felt trapped. So many devious men in one place was simply not good!
"Eowyn, how did my family react to my absence?" she said, cutting into the lively conversation between the two women.
"I can't describe it," Eowyn said with a grin. "Words would steal the glamour, Irulan! They almost died. If I had known that your disappearance would cause such shock, I would have made you leave a long time ago, simply for the pleasure of watching them!"
Irulan pursed her lips. "So I can not go back," was her almost inaudible murmur.
"Go back?!" yelped Eowyn. "You are not going back anyway, are you?"
"Well...I suppose I'm not, now," Irulan sighed. She had had no intentions of going back after the step she had taken. But...the idea that the road of return was sealed for good was nevertheless a little...intimidating. No matter how foolish, it made her feel trapped.
Eowyn looked at her for a long moment. "Irulan, stop embarrassing me!" she seethed finally.
"Embarrassing you?!"
"Yes," the other replied with a dry tone. "You are far too much of a coward! All the time we talked about adventures and traveling and the daring things we would do...and now you act like this fragile, nervous little...LADY!" she finished, waving her arms in frustration.
Irulan's eyes widened at the remark. "No, I DON'T Never call me that again!"
"Then stop acting like one!" boomed Eowyn. Both stilled in confusion at the soft laughter of Arwen.
"Oh please...do not mind me. I am fascinated by this encounter," the Princess said with a sly smile.
"Nevermind," mumbled Irulan as her gaze wandered towards the men again. "Besides, if we do not join our 'protectors' over there soon enough, they will come personally and snatch us away. Legolas has that look again," she sighed in exasperation.
Arwen cocked her head and stole a sidelong glance. "Yes he does, doesn't he? As a matter of fact, so does Lord Aragorn. And Lord Gimli. Even Masters Chemarit and Gandalf look a little...irritated?" She turned back to the company with a fabulous smile. "I wonder what makes them so pale?"
Eowyn exploded into laughter at that. "Well..." she began with a sly grin as she leisurely strode between the two women and snaked her hands into the arms of each, "…shall we find out, ladies?"
"Oh yes! Actually, Irulan and me were just talking about that. About how men think that they are so…-"
"Smart! I know!" laughed Eowyn.
Arwen nodded with delight. "And I bet some would even think themselves sly!"
"Sure they would! Some even have the guts to write books about love!" exclaimed Irulan, thinking that Gimli was, no doubt, responsible for the attitude of Legolas and therefore also responsible of the fact that she had been backed into a corner several times.
"Ah! I always wanted to get back at Master Gimli for that," mused Arwen.
"I love Master Gimli!" exclaimed Eowyn with mock shock. "And…" she added with a serpentine tone, "…that's EXACTLY why I shall assist you, dear Lady Arwen!" All three broke into soft laughter and resumed their advance on the eagerly awaiting party.
When they reached the men, there was an unnatural silence to them. A tenseness was emanating from the group and Irulan had to use all her willpower not to stare back at Legolas, who was so fixed on her, that it made her almost feel naked.
"...and so I said 'No'," drawled Arwen with her soft voice. "He was simply not my type."
"You said no to HIM?!" yelped Eowyn, and Irulan marveled at her talent in acting, for none of the three women had any idea what the conversation was about but Arwen and Eowyn made it look like they had been talking for several minutes. "After all he did for you, Lady Arwen?"
"Aye," sighed Arwen, looking away. "I think I deserve better. I will not give my love to any man. He has to deserve it." After a moment's silence she added "As a matter of fact...that man yesterday - what was his name, dear Gandalf?"
The old wizard, who had been observing the three women with narrowed eyes, almost choked on his pipe at this sudden question. "What man?" he managed to say, after Chemarit patted him on his back.
"The fabulous man from yesterday. Irulan's friend," Arwen said with a cool voice. Eowyn and Irulan glanced at each other. The Rivendell Princess, like everyone else (except for Chemarit, Irulan and Gandalf, of course) had no idea about Dernhelm's real identity. But she was still walking in the right direction. Irulan observed the blue fire settling into Legolas' gaze, even though he remained as still as a statue other than that.
"Oh..." was Gandalf's alarmed reply. He looked like a man with a very bad itch and who was resisting it with all his strength, "I can not really recall who…-"
"You mean Dernhelm, I suppose?" cut in Eowyn with a grin. All heads turned to her and Irulan bit her lower lip to keep from laughing out loud.
"Oh yes! Him! What a magnificent creature that was!" was Arwen's excited reply. "The moment I saw him, I thought 'THERE is a truly charismatic man'!"
The silence and tenseness that emanated from the men instantly doubled. Both Irulan and Eowyn grew slightly pink with the effort of keeping the laughter in.
"Eh...he was...interesting I suppose," mumbled Gimli with obvious discomfort, for the sake of breaking the silence. He almost bit his own tongue when the remaining men turned to look down at him as if he had morphed into an orc that needed to be killed on the spot. "I mean...he had read my book!" the dwarf yelped, for the lack of any other explanation.
"Oh I think he is far more than merely interesting," mused Eowyn. "Dernhelm is an amazing man. I for one, felt always jealous of his unrelenting interest in Irulan."
Legolas took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose as Irulan almost whimpered from the effort of suppressing the laughter. Chemarit and Gandalf threw the blonde woman warning looks, to which she said "What? You don't think so, Chemarit?"
It was Chemarit's turn to be caught off-guard and cough and this time the Wizard patted his back. "I...I think he had a very DEVIOUS side to him!" he spat finally, when he could speak again.
"Ah...but that only makes him more attractive now, does it not?" was Eowyn's response, followed by a grin.
"He was very...masculine," continued Arwen, looking up to the stars. Then her gaze wandered to the Ranger. "Very courageous too," she added with a smile. "Someone who is not afraid to fight for his woman."
"What would you know?!" Legolas intervened suddenly and everyone gulped at his tone. Realizing that he had said the words a little too spiteful, the Prince shifted on his feet and added with a calmer voice "Irulan tells me he is mad. And I have to admit that my observations only confirmed that."
Eowyn glanced at Irulan with twinkles in her eyes. "Why, my pick of words would be 'original', Prince Legolas." She locked eyes with the elf again. "You see...Dernhelm is a very unique man. He had many admirers, but he was soooooo into Irulan..." she sighed softly at that, "He refused all others!"
"He said that she is below him! That he deserved far better!" spat Legolas, unable to keep himself at bay. "Those are not the words of an honorable man!"
Eowyn laughed merrily at that. "Who said he was honorable?! All I said was that he was unique. And believe me..-" she winked boldly as her grin grew broader, "…in that, I am not mistaken."
"How...appalling...and...rude...and terrible a thing to say!" gasped Arwen in a very princess-like manner. An expression of satisfaction crept into the faces of the men. But was too short-lived, for she continued, her tone gaining a husky edge: "But...how immensely ATTRACTIVE!" The satisfaction on the faces melted into pure confusion. Pretending to notice their baffled state only now, she added matter-of-factly "Self-confident men will always remain overly attractive for women." Another glance at Aragorn followed and all the Ranger could do, was to inspect his boots in frustration. "Besides…there is something utterly amazing about a man who has enough strength to dominate a woman. Would you not say so, Irulan?"
Irulan, finally having managed to overcome the urge to explode with laughter and amazed at the show her two female friends were putting up here, spoke for the first time: "Oh, definitely! I must admit that I find most men these days too..."
"Feminine?" cut in Eowyn.
"Yes," said Irulan with mock surprise, "Precisely! Too kind! Too...gentle."
Legolas blinked in surprise and exchanged amazed looks with Gimli who dared to speak up. "Forgive me, Lady Irulan, but did you just..."
He was cut off by an angry Prince "You find THAT attractive?!"
"Well...yes," mused Irulan a moment later, locking eyes with Legolas. "Every woman does."
"But I thought..." he began and took a deep breath to calm himself, "I thought women preferred gentlemen." It sounded downright stupid, but at the moment his brain was simply not functioning, for the accursed feeling of jealousy was blooming in him again!
"Gentlemen!" huffed Arwen. "That word is a contradiction in itself! Men and gentleness! Please! No REAL man is really gentle." All present men's eyes widened and Gandalf began to cough again. "Your book says so, doesn't it, Master Gimli?" drawled the Princess, ignoring everyone else as she gave the dwarf a narrow look. "Is it not in the nature of men to be a little...wild?" said the princess, ignoring everyone else. She had so wished for the dwarf to be rendered speechless when it came to love! And she was taking immense pleasure from his loss of words now.
"Men can be gentle!" Aragorn broke in suddenly and immediately afterwards shut his mouth, realizing that he had spoken the words without being asked. He returned to his inspection of his boots as Gimli hastily cut in to make up for his failure "Yes! I agree! Being gentle is essential. I never said they should be rude! Only...determined!"
"A gentle knight who goes to conquer a fortress!" laughed Arwen as a red color began to dominate Gimli's face. "Oh......oh," she laughed on, failing to speak and both Eowyn and Irulan joined her. "That is just...so...SAD!" she managed to say finally a long moment later.
"What exactly is so sad about that, Lady Arwen?" seethed Legolas, his blue gaze becoming frostier by the moment.
"I couldn't tell!" whispered Arwen in delight once she found her voice again, "Otherwise I would be giving the secret of how a woman is conquered. And that, dear Prince, is not for me to tell." Her smile grew wider. "You have Master Gimli here," she said then with a lighter voice. "Conquering a woman's heart should present no problem to you." She glanced down at a bewildered dwarf again and smiled one of her gorgeous smiles.
"Anyway," broke in Eowyn with bemusement. "I haven't seen Dernhelm today. Have you? Gandalf? Chemarit?" Both men only gave her an extremely sour look.
"He will not return," Legolas said with a cold voice, his gaze returning to Irulan.
"He won't?!" was Eowyn's shocked reply. "How so unlike him! Are you sure he is not planning something, dear Prince?"
Legolas blinked at that and turned to her, open confusion and slight alarm on his face. "Like what, Lady Eowyn?"
The blonde woman just shrugged. "Who knows? That man is full of surprises."
"And constantly the topic around here, it seems," the Prince said in frustration.
"Irulan!" yelped Eowyn with exaggerated alarm, "Would you believe him gone? You certainly know Dernhelm far better than that!"
"I must admit that it seems rather suspicious," Irulan replied, cocking her head with mock thoughtfulness.
"He will not return," hissed Legolas. "Or I will personally…-"
"My, my! You surprise me, Prince Legolas!" broke in Arwen. "A man like you so...violent?! *I* thought you the perfect....GENTLEMAN," she finished and broke into soft laughter again while the other two women pursed their lips.
"Legolas here can be perfectly violent, never doubt that!" said Gandalf, clearing his throat. "I have seen it happening, and so has that DERNHELM fellow." With that, he threw a warning look at Eowyn.
Eowyn, though, was the perfect weapon - she cared for no one and nothing. And being a woman with no conscience, it did not bother her the slightest to back Gandalf and Chemarit into a corner, now. She was and would always remain a person full with unexpected surprises. She shrugged gracefully and clasping her hands behind her back, continued with a calm tone "His strength is not physical, for certain. What makes Dernhelm so unique is how bold and determined he can be. Especially when it comes to Irulan."
"Enough about Dernhelm!" shouted Legolas suddenly and everyone jumped slightly at the tone of his voice. The Ruler of Ithilien was speaking! "Irulan does not love him," he added with a growl, his eyes boring into hers. "She has chosen another. He will simply have to accept that."
A short silence followed at the intensity of his attitude. Finally Arwen said "So she has. We never questioned that. It was *I* who inquired about him, Prince Legolas."
He turned to her then and even someone as bold and daring as Arwen instantly reconsidered her decision to torture the Prince. "You," he began with a threatening tone and Arwen swallowed softly, "You...Lady Arwen," he said again, biting his tongue and trying not to utter anything that would cause him further trouble, no matter how strong the temptation, "…have a better taste than that," he finished, taking a deep breath to calm his heart. He wanted to strangle the woman but that would be highly unbecoming. "There are far more valuable men than...HIM around here." With that he glanced at Aragorn who, along with the rest of the present company, was anxiously observing the Prince's efforts to calm himself.
"I never said the opposite," Arwen countered with a cautious tone, "I only said that I find him attractive. And to that I stand."
"Attraction is a passing thing," Legolas said dismissively, now far calmer. "There are more important things in life."
Arwen smiled again. "Once again, I never said the opposite, dear Prince."
Legolas, growing impatient with her stubborn refusal to shut up, just gave her an extremely dangerous look. "I am not sure WHAT you implied, anymore," he hissed finally.
"The futile ways of the heart," was Arwen's late response. "But who am I to know?" she added more playfully. "You men are all experts of love, are you not?" Her gaze wandered from Chemarit to Gandalf, then to Gimli and finally Legolas, then Aragorn. "What we women think is of no importance."
"Exactly," sighed Eowyn. "What would we women know anyway?"
"What Irulan thinks matters the world to me," Legolas said with a careful tone.
"Then you must agree that Dernhelm IS immensely attractive?"
Legolas turned his blue orbs to Irulan. "Is THAT what you think?" was the tense question.
"Well..." she began, looking from the women to the men and back. "I don't understand why that is a big deal."
"So you DO agree?" he said with soft disbelief.
"Come on, Legolas. I mean...all men here would agree that Lady Arwen is immensely attractive. It is just a honest and very understandable opinion."
He took a step towards her. "You were attracted to him or not?"
He would not dare to do something drastic, would he? As Prince of Ithilien, here amongst his guests and his friends, he would not. And yet...that look in his eyes was just downright dangerous. Her sudden fear gave in to anger. 'I am not a puppet!' she thought. "Yes I was!" was her final statement. She pushed up her chin and looked straight into Legolas' shocked expression.
"I thought you were friends, Irulan," he seethed a long moment later.
"We were," Irulan said smoothly. A part of her mind realized that if she kept on talking about the matter, she would end up believing in the story, herself! "And I had no feelings for him, true. But...he was attractive, damn it!"
"He was indeed!" exclaimed Eowyn with amusement.
"Because he pushed you around?" thundered Legolas suddenly and everyone instantly decided that it was high time to eat. Under Irulan's disbelieving look they hastily dispersed and glided over to the tables, leaving her alone with a fuming elf. 'So much for friendship!' she thought in fury as Arwen and Eowyn glanced back at her over their shoulders while they hastily strode away, already chatting about other matters. "Because he treated you as his inferior?!" he shouted again and she swiftly turned back to him. "Or perhaps because he forced you to do things?!"
"Enough, Legolas!" she said with mock tiredness. Inside, she was afraid like a little child, but she refused to show it. "He was a bit mad, yes. And at times rude. But he had a good heart."
"Now you even defend him!" he said in shock and approached her further as Irulan tried to step back without being too obvious in her fear.
"He was a friend. And...and he saved me!" she added hastily, remembering what Dernhelm had said about the inn.
Legolas took a deep breath. "I see," he seethed in a dangerous manner as Irulan watched him with unease. "This man will remain as a shadow on us, no matter what!"
"He is a part of my past, Legolas. Erasing him would erase a part of me." He looked at her for a long moment. So long that Irulan finally huffed and continued: "I do not love him. I never did. It is you I love, you know that. Your reaction is groundless and childish, Legolas."
He pursed his lips and looked away. It was true. There was nothing wrong with finding someone attractive. It meant nothing. His reaction was indeed foolish. But it was purely emotional and emotions simply did not obey the rules of the mind. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I suppose you are right," he said finally with a low voice. He stepped closer and enfolded her hands in his, looking down at their grasp with utmost concentration.
It was Irulan who broke the long silence that set in. "I know what it is."
Legolas looked up in surprise. "What what is?"
"The source of confusion and distress between us," she said with a lighter voice.
"So do I!" he said with frustration. "It is this...slow pace! We should get rid of it altogether!"
"I think you are mistaken again, dear elf," she said then, retrieving her hands and folding them over her chest. "I think," she began and stepped back, "we should not do anything from now on."
The Prince blinked in surprise. "What does that mean?"
"It means no touching. No kissing. No...nothing, Legolas!"
His eyes widened with shock and alarm. "What?! Why?"
Irulan waved her arms in mock frustration. "Because...it is too much!"
"But you said I could touch you!" he whispered, swallowing hard.
"And look what it did! I see now that the middle road is none for us, Legolas. It is either all or nothing. And well...the slower pace, naturally, is...nothing!" she finished with a fantastic smile.
"I can not do that," he whispered with terror. "Do not ask if of me." For a tiny moment Irulan felt sorry at the expression of deep disappointment on his face. But only for a tiny moment.
"Sure you can, Legolas," she soothed, cocking her head. "Just assume that...we are still in the forest. That we just met."
"I am cursing myself for not kissing you back then! I will not repeat my mistakes!"
"So you will do exactly what?" Irulan said, crossing her arms on her chest.
"I," he began, trying to find the words and failing, "I...I promise that I will be more careful. Promise! But...please DO let me touch you, Irulan," he whispered finally.
Irulan sighed with mock frustration. She looked at him for another long moment as he remained frozen, deadly afraid of her judgment. Finally she said "Fine. But I insist on the slow pace, Legolas!" she added hastily as obvious relief washed over his features. "And I mean *slow*!" The elf nodded silently and gently took her hand again. She gazed at him, the feeling of guilt blooming once again in her. But then...she was tired at being manipulated by men. She would tame Legolas, that much was certain! No more manipulation around here! The torture was by far not over yet! "So...what do we do now?" she sighed, shifting her concentration from him to the crowd in the garden.
Legolas brought up her hand for a kiss, ignoring the warning look Irulan gave him. "I have the fountains to show you yet," he said softly, trying to pick out every word he was saying with utmost care. These women were incredibly dangerous. And cunning. And cruel.
"Very well," was her gentle reply, accompanied with a smile.
Upon that smile, he dared the question he had been dying to ask: "What did Lady Arwen say?"
Irulan gave him a sharp glance. "It is private, Legolas," she said coldly.
"Yes, of course," he said hastily. "I only wanted to know if...I mean...she did not hurt you in any way, did she?"
"No, she did not," Irulan said flatly and stared back in silence.
"Because if she has-" Legolas tried again, but Irulan just cut him off.
"No, Legolas."
"Very well," he whispered in frustration. "I was worried."
"You worry too much," was the frosty answer.
He took a deep breath of defeat, then smiled down at her, trying to look not too devastated. "Let us go to the fountains, then."
Irulan smiled, too, and put her hand in his arm. This whole taming thing was actually fun. As long as it was her who was doing the taming, that is.
"So you like dominant men, is that so, my love?" Legolas said softly, strolling towards the fountains and giving Lady Arwen one last nasty look before he did so.
Irulan, instantly realizing that she might have made a LITTLE mistake by saying that, swallowed softly. "No…I mean yes, but…" She tried to ignore the penetrating gaze Legolas was giving her. "It is a delicate balance, no doubt," she finished with haste.
The Prince frowned and looked ahead as Irulan was overcome by a feeling of anxiety. After all, she was dealing with the Prince here. A man who had proved to her over and over again that he was far bolder and more daring than herself. That he would take any torture she would condemn him to, out of sheer love. But…only to a certain limit. 'Let us just be extra careful not to cross that limit,' she thought to herself.
"But I love you the way you are, Legolas," was her late comment. To her dislike, he gave her a warm smile, but did not reply. He turned back his gaze ahead and didn't mention the subject again.
***