AN: lilly042004, Guest, Pumpky, saiyan angel blue, Amerino, Hadassah Fatin, Bookaholicgurl78, MiyuuTakeda, , Amy, Vanna for your reviews. This chapter is short but hope you like it. Please read and review. Thank you!

Chapter 25: Free From Feelings (Part II)

'All good things come to an end. Good time is no different. After Orophin found out about the plans to get Haldir and Helartha together, he and I became good friends. I never saw Rumil much since his duty is outside the city and near the borders. I've only met him twice. Orophin and I were trying everything to make the love birds confess their feelings to each other. And one fortunate night it indeed happened...'

Flashback

The stars were shining brightly. But Quinn wasn't staring at them or gazing at their beauty. Instead she was watching Haldir. He was pacing restlessly. For some reason he was feeling anxious. As if something bad is about to happen. Quinn was trying to comfort her friend but his mind would not calm down. Suddenly Orophin came to them in a rush.

"Helartha is coming here. I think she is looking for you." Orophin said to Haldir. He nodded his head. Orophin then walked away and hid somewhere. Quinn and Haldir on the other hand started dancing. He was moving her around in a slow pace. Quinn was also smiling happily. After a while Helartha indeed came looking for Haldir. She cleared her throat in order to gain their attention. When Quinn looked at Helartha, she noticed immediately how upset the ellth looked. She seemed broken. She didn't even glare at Quinn this time. Quinn felt very sad for Helartha.

"I apologize for interrupting" said Helartha with soft tone of voice.

"No, it is quite alright" said Haldir. There was pain in his voice as well. Quinn knew Haldir wanted to simply embrace Helartha that time. But he refrained himself from doing so.

"May I speak with you? It will only take a moment" said Helartha indirectly asking for privacy. Haldir nodded his head. Then he looked at Quinn.

"Quinn would you please give us a moment? I shall find you later." Quinn nodded her head.

"I'll be waiting for you" saying that Quinn planted a kiss on Haldir's cheek and then walked away. However she didn't go very far because she intended to be an eavesdropping bitch. So instead Quinn found Orophin who apparently had the same plan as hers because Quinn found him eavesdropping.

"What are they saying?" Quinn asked eagerly with serious curiosity.

"Helartha has decided to sail away to the undying land." Orophin told her which shocked Quinn to no limit.

"What! No, she can't do that. I must talk to her." Quinn was about to leave and go to Helartha but Orophin stopped her.

"No, wait- let's see what happens first." Quinn agreed to wait. She couldn't hear what Haldir or Helartha were saying but she could see them. And she got a feeling that something is going to happen tonight. On the other hand Haldir and Helartha were both on the verge of tears.

"You never told me you are planning to leave" said Haldir, he could barely speak. The march warden of Lorien was breaking down inwardly bits by bits.

"Nowadays I feel that the land of Valar is the only place I might find peace" said Helartha. She was trying very hard not to let her voice shake.

"But you are still needed here." Haldir spoke with desperation in his voice. Helartha sighed out heavily.

"I do not deny that Haldir but I fear that if I stay here longer I shall fade." Helartha lowered her gaze while she confessed. But Haldir made her look into his eyes.

"Why? Why will you fade?" Haldir asked with such intensity in his voice that Helartha could not stop herself from answering his question.

"Because I love someone who loves another. My heart could not bare to watch them together anymore." A drop of tear escaped Helartha's eye and rolled down her cheek. Haldir cupped her face with both hands and asked-

"Helartha do you love me?" The elleth gasped in shock hearing that. She remained mute.

"Helartha please tell me, do you love me?" Haldir asked once again. His voice more intense this time. Helartha put her hands over Haldir's and slowly moved them away from her face.

"It does not matter. You love Quinn" saying that with sad tone of voice, Helartha tried to step back from Haldir but he didn't let her. Instead Haldir held on her arms and pulled Helartha closer to him.

"Helartha, just tell me, please... do. you. love. me?"

"YES!" Helartha exclaimed loudly. "Yes I do. Of course I do. I love you but you-" before Helartha could say more, Haldir leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss. For a moment, Helartha didn't understand what was happening. She was shocked. She never thought Haldir would kiss her. She only dreamed of it. Haldir pulled away after a moment and smiled to see how shocked Helartha looked.

"Amin heart vithel belongs a' lle, Melamin. (My heart also belongs to you, my love.)" Haldir professed his love at last. However, Helartha only felt confused.

"But you are with Quinn" said Helartha sounding utterly baffled. Haldir couldn't help but laugh this time.

"No my love, Quinn was only helping us get together" said Haldir making Helartha furrow her brows with more confusion. Haldir then began to explain everything to the healer.

Meanwhile, Quinn and Orophin on the other hand were celebrating the success of their mission. Quinn was literary jumping up and down with excitement. She was so happy that the lovers are finally together that she jumped on Orophin and hugged him tightly. Orophin returned the hug as well. He was happy for his brother as well. It was in that moment when Orophin and Quinn were embracing each other, that Legolas came across them. Once again he found Quinn in another elf's arms. At first Legolas thought it was Haldir but when he saw that it was actually Orophin, the Mirkwood prince was taken aback. He couldn't believe his own eyes. What was Quinn doing? Why was she in Orophin's arms when Haldir has been the person of her endearment till that morning? Has she left Haldir? Has Haldir left her? Whichever the matter was, how could Quinn be with another elf so soon and so easily? Was she simply playing a game of seduction with the Lorien elves? How could she? Legolas couldn't stand there anymore and witness more of Quinn's shameless acts. The princeling walked away with aggressive steps. On the other hand, Orophin and Quinn pulled away from each other. Both smiling happily.

"Thank you Quinn. What you did for Haldir, no one else would have done it."

"Yes of course, obviously the entire credit goes to me" said Quinn haughtily. Orophin raised his eyebrows at her.

"Is that so?" Orophin attacked Quinn and started tickling her.

"NO no no... please stop..." Quinn's screams and laughter echoed around them. She could barely push Orophin away from her but the first chance Quinn got she started running away.

End of Flashback

'Ah good times. Fun times. How abruptly it ended for me...'

Flashback

After Orophin left for his patrolling duty, Quinn searched for the fellowship. With all the drama going on, she didn't get any chance to hang out with her old friends. Soon they would be leaving Lothlorien. Quinn wished to spend as much time with them as possible. After all she might never see them again. The search led Quinn to the archery training field of the palace. There she found Legolas. He was practicing archery as usual. But after a moment of observation Quinn got confused. Legolas was shooting the arrows with such aggressiveness that it was a wonder that the bow didn't break in half or the arrows didn't pierce through the target.

"Why are you inflecting such torture on the target?" Quinn asked with playful tone of voice as she approached Legolas. The elf didn't acknowledge her presence there. Instead he kept shooting arrows. Quinn became concerned this time.

"Legolas, is everything alright?" Quinn asked worriedly. Legolas still didn't response.

"Legolas?" Quinn put her hand on Legolas' arm, so that he may look at her at least. But immediately Legolas jerked her hand away from his arm as if her touch burned him. The action startled Quinn very much.

"Legolas!" Quinn gasped out in shock.

"Do not touch me." Legolas spoke with such cold tone of voice that it sent chills down Quinn's spine.

"Why are you-" Quinn began to speak, still shocked but Legolas cut her off.

"Leave me alone. Your presence is repulsive to me." Never had ever Quinn heard Legolas speak so bitterly. Not to mention to her. Instead of leaving, Quinn could only gap at Legolas. She hadn't the slightest clue what was going on. Since Quinn wasn't leaving, Legolas got the opportunity to insult her some more.

"I thought you are an innocent girl with a pure heart. How wrong I was! The truth is you are one of those shameless women who take a new lover every other day because they neither know of love nor loyalty. First you played with Haldir, now you are seducing Orophin, who will be next? What spells are you putting on them? It has to be witchcraft otherwise my kin could not have fallen for such a plain face." This time instead of gaping at Legolas, Quinn lowered her eyes. For a moment, she felt as if her aunt was speaking, not Legolas. But the fact that it was indeed Legolas saying these things hurt Quinn beyond any measure.

"I do not care how many other elves you disgrace yourself with but do keep your distance from me. You disgust me Quinn. I wish I never met you" saying that Legolas walked away from there. Quinn stood still as if a stone statue.

End of Flashback

'Words can cut deeper than a sharp knife. The scar my heart received this time, is deeper than any other scar. At first I thought about leaving Lothlorien. I never thought Legolas would think so low of me. I'll not try to clear the misunderstanding. If Legolas wishes to believe that I was having an affair with Haldir and now I'm after Orophin, then so be it. I do not seek his friendship anymore. Or anyone else' for that matter. I only yearned for isolation. I wished to be in a place where no one lives, so that no one will hurt me. But then I decided against leaving. If I leave without telling anyone, people will look for me and I'll end up harassing everyone. Well not Legolas. I believe he will be happy to hear that I left. But I shouldn't trouble everyone else for one person. The elves of Lothlorien have given me a place to stay, fed me, healed me, clothed me, most importantly befriended me. I'll be offending them and their hospitality if I run away. And I aren't doing that. Besides, all I have to do is stay away from Legolas for couple of days. Then the fellowship will be leaving this realm. And on the next eclipse I'll be gone from this world. So, Legolas will never be seeing my plain face again.

Let me write something very honest here. I am not angry with Legolas. If anything I'm thankful to him. All his venomous words have released me from the feelings I had possessed for him. No longer I feel that love and longing for him. They are just not there anymore. It happened suddenly but happened nonetheless. My heart is broken in such a way that it'll never be repaired and be whole again. And love can't reside in a broken heart. Fortunately now that there is no love, there is no pain either that I used to feel at the thought that I can never have Legolas. That I can only love him from afar. Now I care not.

That's why I am free. Free from feelings. Free from unrequited love. Free from pain...'