"What thoughts take you far from here?" Legolas whispered softly in the dark. Celede blinked, turning away from staring into the stars and peering in his direction. Legolas lay mostly in shadow, his figure barely illuminated by the stars above, although he leaned back against the same grassy knoll only a few feet beside her.
"The same thoughts that have plagued me all day," she replied, her voice raspy from shouting Aragorn's name for countless hours. They been searching along the river from the moment they'd left Gimli and the Rohan villagers, but they had yet to find any sign of Aragorn.
"I fear for what sight we shall see when we find him," Celede continued, voice catching from overuse and emotion, "if we find him."
She felt Legolas shift beside her, then his slender fingers gently found hers in the dark. He squeezed her hand gently, and after a moment, she squeezed back. They had only stopped searching when night fell, and familiar shapes transformed into unfamiliar shadows. Legolas had forced them to stop, rest, and start the search tomorrow. Celede had wanted to push on, but Legolas was adamant, and Celede was too exhausted to argue. Sleep refused to come to her, however, and she lay beside him in the dark, mind racing with equally dark and terrible fears. Legolas had decided that a fire would be too dangerous knowing that orcs and wargs roamed the land, and the night was thankfully mild enough that the warmth of a fire wasn't necessary.
"We'll find him," Legolas said. Celede didn't answer for a time, but she didn't let go of his hand either. Legolas could tell she was still awake.
"Celede-"
"Legolas-"
A soft smile touched his face. They had broken the silence at the same time.
"Speak your mind, Celede," he said. He looked into her eyes, bright despite the surrounding darkness. Celede hesitated, biting her lower lip.
"Losing Aragorn like this- it haunts me because I never thought it possible," she finally said, "I know it may be foolish, but whenever I thought about the danger of our journey, I worried for the hobbits, for Frodo and Sam, and Merry and Pippin. I worried for Gimli. When Boromir fell, I grieved for him, but I accepted what happened because he fell before a Uruk-hai, a foe none of us had ever seen before, and after taking so many arrows.
Even Mithrandir – when Mithrandir fell at Moria, we were all devastated. We were all shocked. He was so old and wise and powerful. But he had also died defending us from an ancient evil and that knowledge helped me move forward. He fell facing a foe that was just as mighty and even more ancient as him. Aragorn though, my Estel! It doesn't make any sense. It was a minor warg skirmish! He is so important to me, to my family, to Men, to Middle Earth – how could he possibly have been taken from his fate by one measly orc? I cannot believe that. I cannot fathom it."
Legolas nodded slowly in understanding.
"I may not be as old or wise as Mithrandir," he said slowly, "But I have been around long enough to know that the world works in mysterious ways. If Aragorn's fate is meant to be as you say, then we will find him. If his story is not over, then the Vala will see to it that his story does not end here."
"I did it for him," Celede blurted out, "I joined the Fellowship for him. I'm here because of him. Estel and Arwen. I joined the Fellowship so I could see to it that they get their happy ending. In doing so, I committed an act of disobedience so great that my father no longer acknowledges me as his own. And I failed? Because of one despicable orc ruining my efforts to keep Aragorn alive, I gave up my home, my dearest family-"
"That's not true, Celede," Legolas said, "I've known Lord Elrond a long time and heard the stories they tell about him for even longer. He is just and kind and can be stern at times, but above all, his family is everything to him. The way his face softens and lights up when he looks at any of his children, including you, Celede. That love doesn't disappear after a few tense words spoken in anger, Celede, no matter what those words were. He loves you, and it would tear him apart if he knew you doubted that. You or any of your siblings could burn Middle Earth to the ground and he would never give up on you."
Tears burned behind Celede's eyes. She desperately wanted to believe Legolas, but she had also known Lord Elrond to choose his words carefully. He never said anything he did not mean.
And if you choose to leave on this ill-fated quest tomorrow, then you are correct in saying that I will have lost my daughter.
He had given her a choice, and she'd thrown it back in his face by leaving Rivendell with the Fellowship. They had not spoken another word to each other. She had left her father, and now for what? To come across Aragorn's body the next day? Frodo and Sam were gone, beyond her protection. She couldn't even protect Merry and Pippin. She was a failure.
"It's not over yet," Legolas said, as if he could tell where her thoughts were circling, "It is not over until you have nothing left. And you have so much still, Celede. So much to hope for. And for what it's worth, you have me."
Celede blinked and the tears finally fell, rolling down her face. Legolas shifted closer, releasing her hand to gently wipe her tears away with his thumb. He pulled her close to him, nestling her in his arms. His gentle, regular breathing soothed her shaky ones.
"You know, I was so envious of Elrohir and Elladan, to have such a family," Legolas continued softly, "They had a father who adored them, a home they could always return to, where they could be themselves. They could get into any sort of trouble, and they knew Lord Elrond would forgive them. When we three scared a nest of spiders into the palace of Mirkwood, we fled to Rivendell because we knew the scolding would be brief and Lord Elrond would move on quickly, with a roll of his eyes and a laugh about it by dinner. My father - well, he is not the type to forgive his children so quickly."
Celede wanted to ask more, but Legolas's hushed voice, his steady breathing, and the warmth of his chest was finally loosening her fear and giving way to exhaustion. Legolas did not elaborate further, changing subjects.
"You said you worried for the hobbits, for Gimli," he said, lips quirking, "what of me?"
"You?" she said sleepily, "Why would I worry for you like I worry for them? Sam uses a frypan instead of a sword most fights."
Legolas laughed. Her answer was as good as any, but he found, irrationally, that he'd been hoping for more.
"I do worry for you," Celede continued then, "But it's different. I don't have to keep an eye on you in a battle to make sure you don't need my help, because I know you can hold your own. But there's always a constant worry where you are concerned, a worry that you will leave me when I am not ready to be alone, and I will not be able to endure it."
Legolas opened his mouth to reply, to tell her he would do all in his power to prevent that from happening, but she did not give him a chance to speak.
"I know what you would say to that, but there is nothing you can say. I worry, too," her voice caught, "of doing the same to you and making you live with the pain of being alone. But I am learning that this is the price of love.
Just as you can worry differently, so too you can love. I love the hobbits and I love Gimli. I daresay you would not want me to love you in the same way I love them. So it is with worry."
At this moment, Legolas knew with certainty and with acceptance. He was ardently and completely in love with Celede. He wished he could take away her worries and leave her only with love. His love, the Fellowship's love, her family's love. He nuzzled his face close to her pointed ear.
"You don't have to believe me now, Celede, but I am sure of what I said before," he whispered to her, "Lord Elrond will always forgive you. He has always loved you. I'll marry an orc if I'm wrong about that."
Celede snorted softly and batted his chest with her hand.
"No orc would have you," she murmured
Curled into his chest, she didn't see his smile in the dark.
ooOOoo
Celede stood on a beach, her bare feet sinking into the sand. She could hear the waves crashing against each other and feel the sharp cold of water breaking against her foot. Opening her eyes, she saw the dark expanse of water in front of her, an evening sun behind her casting its light onto the shimmering water. She looked up and down the beach, but she was alone.
No, not alone. Peering into the water, she noticed something splashing amongst the waves. It was large enough to be a person. Suddenly, a hand flailed out, breaking the surface of the water. On the hand's second finger was a ring, made of two serpents with green jewels for eyes, intertwined beneath a crown of golden flowers. Celede recognized it with a jolt, heart beating faster. It was the Ring of Barahir, given to Aragorn by her father, Lord Elrond.
"Estel," she whispered, not daring to believe. Her voice rose in panic, "Estel!"
The hand disappeared beneath the waves. She charged into the water, whispering Elvish commands to the water to clear a path to Aragorn. The water neither responded to her touch nor her words. It pulled away from her for but a moment before it came crashing back with even greater force. The waves pummeled her body, and in her surprise, Celede lost her footing.
She fell, but the sand beneath the waves never met her. Suddenly the sea was endless, and she was drifting, sinking beneath the water's surface but never reaching the ground beneath. The sunlight disappeared as she sank, and the water turned murky and began to thicken. Celede could not tell which way to swim, her lungs burning with her efforts. The thick water was making it difficult to move. Celede pushed harder against it, but her efforts were in vain. The water around her continued to suffocate her, and then suddenly, a tendril of current shoved its way down her nose and throat.
Celede choked, mouth opening, and her depleted body tried to take a breath despite itself. She was gagging and choking, but the water relentlessly fought her efforts. She was drowning.
She tried to scream, tried to move, but her frantic gasps were useless. She could not even scream for help. Estel, her father, Legolas, no one knew she was here, no one was coming for her. She did not know where she was, and she was alone.
Suddenly she felt herself being shaken by the shoulders, the feeling of freezing water disappearing in a rush. There was a sudden flash of a fiery, murderous eye set between two pinnacles, it's slit pupil snarling at her. Celede flinched away, and then-
"Celede! Wake up!"
Celede opened her eyes to find Legolas peering down at her, eyes full of fear. She took in a desperate, forceful breath, her chest straining with the effort. Air flew into her lungs, too easily now, she coughed and gasped, pushing Legolas away so she could turn to the side and gulp more air. More air. More air. More air until her head was spinning, but she couldn't stop herself. She needed more air.
"Celede. Celede, my love, you're breathing too fast," Legolas said beside her. He put his hand on her shoulder, turning her back to face him. She continued to gasp, tears streaming down her face.
"Breathe out with me. In with me" Legolas said, as Celede desperately tried to hold onto his steady presence. Her hands grasped his arms frantically, and he held fast to her shoulders.
"Breathe out. Now in, slowly. Out slowly. Yes, just like that. With me now, in. Out. Good. That's so good," Legolas said steadily. He continued this steady mantra until Celede's breathing was her own once more. As the panic ebbed, her breathing changed into shuddering sobs.
"It's okay, Celede. It was just a dream," Legolas said soothingly. She leaned forward into his arms, pulling him tightly to her. His hands moved from her shoulders to run gentle circles across her back, speaking softly.
"That's it. It's okay. You're safe now. It was a dream, nothing more. You're alright. I'm here."
She didn't know how long she cried in his arms, but finally she calmed enough to realize that the sun had begun to peek on the horizon. It was day once more.
"It was awful, Legolas," she whispered finally, "I was drowning. The sea – well, it wasn't the sea. The water was thick and awful, and it tried to kill me. And I saw Estel struggling against it too. What if it's a sign? What if we're too late?"
"Nay, Celede, we will find him today," Legolas reassured her. He tried to put as much confidence into his words as he could. He didn't tell Celede how panicked he had been. How afraid and helpless he'd felt just moments earlier, when she wasn't waking up.
After she had fallen asleep in his arms, Legolas had held her and dozed off himself for most of the night, only gently pulling away to check on the horses as dawn approached. He'd turned back to see her writhing in the grass, her mouth opening and closing with choked gasps, but no air moving in or out. He'd called to her, shaken her, but she'd continued to choke. In desperation, he had pulled her upright into his arms, hands fluttering wildly as he watched her lips turn blue and her face grow ashen. Legolas didn't know what he would have done next if she hadn't woken when she did. He could comfort her now that it had been a dream, but in those moments, he had been terrified and at a loss of explanation. No normal dream could nearly kill her like that. He had never seen anything like it before.
Celede's sobs had finally stilled and her breathing was returning to normal when she pulled herself up to look at Legolas.
"It was just a dream," she repeated uncertainly.
"Just a dream," Legolas said, hoping he sounded more convinced than he felt.
He was prepared to sit with her a while longer, but in only a few moments, she was shaking herself and standing. She wiped the tears that still lingered on her face, and her expression became resolute.
"There is no time to waste. We must find Estel."
Legolas would never cease to be impressed by her strength and spirit, barely able to catch up with her as she marched towards the horses. In her relatively few years of life compared to him, Celede had endured so much trauma, both physical and emotional. It broke his heart that she felt she had abandoned her father and lost his love. He wished he could convince her otherwise, but he knew no one besides Lord Elrond himself could truly make her see the truth. He vowed to the Vala that when this war against Sauron was over, and if she still accepted him, he would give Celede everything. She would never have to worry or be afraid or in pain again.
Celede mounted Hasufeld swiftly. No sooner had Legolas leapt on Arod than Celede was off, galloping towards the riverbank with the determination that Legolas loved so much.
The sun was high in the sky before they found anything. Legolas himself was beginning to tire, worry creeping in that they might have missed Estel or would never find him.
"Woaaaah," Celede murmured to Hasufeld, easing him to a stop abruptly. She dismounted, and Legolas quickly followed her.
"What did you find?" he asked.
"Do you see this, Legolas," she said, pointing at the dirt along the riverbank, "I think a person lay here recently. He was soaking wet."
He looked where she was pointing, and she kneeled eagerly beside the unmistakable print.
"What do you think?" she repeated, "And here, that's a horse print. Did a horse meet him here first? How?"
"No sign of orcs or wargs," Legolas added, "I can't believe Aragorn traveled in the river all this way, or that a horse beat us to finding him."
"But it must be him," Celede said excitedly," Who else could it be?"
Legolas was not as sure, but it was a greater lead than anything they'd yet seen.
"The horse tracks lead this way," Celede continued walking away from Legolas and the riverbank, "Estel went this way, and recently!"
"But what if it's not Aragorn?" Legolas said, "Perhaps one of us should continue along the riverbank."
"No, we should not split up," Celede said decisively, "This was Estel, I know it was."
Legolas nodded slowly, afraid that hope was clouding their judgement. On the other hand, they truly had not come across anything else by the river.
"Lead the way," he said. They mounted the horses and took off as quickly as they could without losing sight of the trail. Their efforts were realized when soon after, both noticed a horse in the distance, carrying a lone rider with its head bent forward.
"Estel!" Celede called, pushing Hasufeld into a gallop. Legolas could barely force a tired Arod to keep up. The horse and rider ahead of them slowed to a stop, then turned toward in their direction, resuming a slow pace.
"Estel, it is Estel!" Celede cried. As they approached, the rider slowly slid off his horse's back. Celede leapt off a still racing Hasufeld, who was left to slow down on his own. She sprinted towards the rider.
"Estel!" Celede cried, throwing her arms around him. He winced and staggered back, but his arms reached around to return Celede's embrace. Legolas could see the glint of the Ring of Barahir on his hand.
"Gently now," Legolas said, and Aragorn smiled at him over Celede's shoulder gratefully.
Celede pulled back, peering at Aragorn closely. Her hands came up to frame either side of Aragorn's face.
"You're alive," she said, "I knew you would be, but I was so afraid."
Aragorn placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm alive, dear one," he said, "I don't think you would have let me die."
Celede shook her head vigorously, moving her hands to feel Aragorn's neck, his shoulders, his arms. She paused at a nasty scrape on one shoulder, freshly bleeding where his tunic was torn.
"You're hurt," she said worriedly.
"My shoulder seems to be the worst. I was lucky," Estel said.
"That you were, my friend," Legolas stepped forward to greet Aragorn, and Celede reluctantly allowed him to come in front of her.
"You look terrible," Legolas said. Aragorn grinned weakly.
"I am glad to see you, my friend," Aragorn said, clasping Legolas's forearm with his good hand.
"Let me wrap your wound," said Celede.
"There's no time," Aragorn said, his face growing solemn, "Brego took me a different path. He showed me the horror that is making its way to Helm's Deep. All of Isengard must have been unleashed. Saruman's creatures, the Uruk-hai we faced at Amon Hen, are headed for Helm's Deep. Ten thousand strong at least. We must make haste to warn them."
Celede and Legolas looked at him in shock.
"Ten thousand?" Celede repeated incredulously, "Warn the people of Rohan to do what exactly, against an army of ten thousand? Prepare to fight? More like prepare to die. They are doomed."
"We cannot go down without a fight," Aragorn said firmly, "Battles are decided in the fight, and not before. Come, Celede. Legolas. We must ride for Rohan with all haste."
Not giving them time to protest, Aragorn mounted Brego and turned for Helm's Deep. Celede and Legolas quickly made to follow. Arod snorted at Legolas when he spurred him into a trot.
"I know, old friend," Legolas said softly to his steed, "I have worked you well these past few days, but you can rest when we reach Helm's Deep."
Arod snorted in disbelief, but he reluctantly picked up the pace.
They reached Helm's Deep by mid-afternoon. Celede looked upon the fortress, tucked into a mountain side, with a critical eye. Saruman's army would be forced to attack from the plains, and there must exist paths of escape from the fortress into the mountains. The size of the stone fortress was formidable, and Celede thought it looked as good a place as any to defend when the odds were heavily against you. Winning a battle against ten thousand of those savage beasts still seemed impossible, though. She questioned Aragorn's conviction that they might have any chance of defeating the army of Isengard.
As they approached Helm's Deep, horns blared their arrival, and the large wooden gates of the fortress opened just in time for them to enter.
Gimli was waiting for them just past the gate, his hand folded atop the battle axe nearly as tall as he was. He grinned broadly as the trio dismounted, raising his hands to embrace Aragorn.
"You are the luckiest, the canniest, and the most reckless man I ever knew!" Gimli exclaimed. Aragorn returned the embrace, although his face remained solemn.
"Gimli, where is the king?" he asked. Gimli frowned slightly, nodding farther into the fortress. Aragorn made to move, but they found themselves surrounded by curious onlookers. Celede spotted Eowyn among the crowd, staring at Aragorn in disbelief. Celede turned to see Legolas following her line of sight, his face unreadable as he spied Eowyn in the crowd.
"Aragorn, wait, one more thing," he said. Aragorn turned to him quizzically, as did Celede and Gimli.
In front of everyone's eyes, including Eowyn's, Legolas brought a hand forward, something fisted inside. Slowly, he opened his palm to Aragorn, and Celede's eyes widened as she realized what he was holding.
Arwen's Evenstar jewel glinted in the light. Celede realized Legolas must have taken it from the dead orc they'd found on the warg battlefield. She had been so frantic to find where Aragorn had gone that she'd left the jewel behind. They would have been long gone by the time Celede remembered, if she ever did. She felt a deep wave of affection for this Elf prince standing in front of her, just as a flash of long golden hair caught her vision. Eowyn had turned away from Aragorn's wistful look, as he was clearly moved by the recovery of Arwen's jewel. Although perhaps it was subtly cruel to Eowyn, Celede was glad that Legolas had chosen to give this reminder that Aragorn's heart belonged to another.
"Hannon le, Legolas," Aragorn told him earnestly. Thank you.
Legolas nodded once to his friend in return, eyes soft.
"I must inform the king," Aragorn said to them in Elvish, so as not to alarm any bystanders listening to them, "We must be prepared to fight by nightfall. The Uruk-hai do not delay."
Celede nodded at him. The prospect of fighting against thousands of Uruk-hai went night fell brought a sick feeling over her. They had only just found Aragorn, and after the past few days and the night she'd endured, she felt so tired.
"Go, Aragorn. Inform the king," Legolas was saying. Aragorn turned and strode away to find King Theoden, easier now that the crowd was dispersing back to their previous activities. Legolas took one look at Celede and put a gentle arm around her waist.
"Gimli, can you show us a place we can rest before tonight?" Legolas said quietly, ignoring Celede's wordless, halfhearted noise of protest.
"Aye, Princeling," Gimli said, also noticing the exhaustion on Celede's face, "Right this way, follow me."
As Gimli led the pair to an empty room next to his in the king's wing, he pondered all that he had seen. Aragorn's focus on talking to King Theoden did not bode well, but Gimli cast the thought aside. He would deal with whatever Aragorn had to say later, when someone deemed it time for Gimli to be informed of what was going on, in a language he could speak. He brightened instead thinking about the utter lack of tension between his two favorite Elves. Legolas's hand was always a light touch on Celede's shoulder, her back, her waist, and she leaned on his touch completely. Gimli wasn't sure what had changed in the short time they had been away, but it had been just the two of them against the world for a couple days. Gimli wasn't surprised that the pair seemed closer. He was more surprised that he felt so giddy at noticing the change in them.
"My lord and lady Elf," he said dramatically when they arrived at the door, "your quarters, as requested."
"Thank you, Gimli," Celede said softly. Legolas rolled his eyes, and Gimli grinned.
"I will catch the pair of you later," Gimli said, raising his battle axe in farewell as he walked back the way they had come.
Celede stepped into the room, Legolas close behind. It was a small room with a single bed and single, small table. On the table stood a basin containing a few towels, and a pitcher of water beside it. As Legolas closed the door quietly behind him, Celede moved towards the pitcher. She was as eager to wash her face clean of the turmoil in past few days, but as she poured the water into the basin, the sight of the falling water brought back her nightmare unbidden. Water that smothered her face, diving into her lungs…
Celede gasped, remembering vividly the feeling of being unable to breathe, and dropped the pitcher. The crash on the floor never came though, as Legolas swiftly caught it and set it back on the table.
"It's alright," he said quietly, "I am not going to let anything happen to you."
Celede nodded tightly, raising the pitcher once more and continuing to pour the water. This time, she clenched her jaw and forced away the memories of her dream. The moment passed, and she was able to wet a towel and clean her face, neck, and arms of grime and blood, still dried in some places from the warg attack.
As she poured more water into the basin, she turned away from the sight of it to see instead that Legolas had removed his cloak, tunic, and boots, standing before her only in a loose undershirt and leggings. His shirt was open at the front, revealing a glimpse of his toned chest. Celede nearly dropped the pitcher again.
"You've had your turn over there long enough," he teased, "Care to throw me a towel?"
She moved silently back to let him take a turn to towel himself off. In a split moment's decision, she decided to follow his lead, removing her boots, skirt, and outer tunic so she stood before him in just a thin sheath and leggings.
Legolas turned around, and it was his turn to freeze at the sight of her, eyes wide. They were doing something unconventional, standing before each other in this way. Her Evenstar lay pointedly against her own chest, not his. They were not betrothed, not husband and wife in anyone's eyes. Not even their own. She saw the uncertainty in Legolas's eyes, no doubt considering this as she was. Perhaps being raised in the strict royal family at Mirkwood gave him further concern at their state of undress in front of the other.
"Celede, I can- I can go to Gimli's rooms," Legolas stuttered. Celede had never heard him sound so lost. She smiled, shook her head, and stepped towards him.
No, they were not doing things the conventional way. But they had also endured things that most Elves never did. They had fought so many enemies together already, both with swords and with unspoken comfort for each other, that Celede did not care about what was proper and what was not anymore. That was the least of her problems.
"I do not want you to leave this room, if you would like to stay" Celede whispered, her hands reaching up to roam across Legolas's chest beneath his shirt. His slender body, soft at first, tightened beneath her fingertips. She felt the ridges of hard muscle beneath her, tensing with desire at her touch.
She looked up at him through half-lidded eyes and found his blue eyes staring down into her face. He raised a hand then, making her realize he had been clutching the table behind him as if for support. Legolas touched her chin gently, lifting her face upwards towards him. He leaned forward slowly, unbearably slowly, mouth parted slightly. Celede tried to suppress her eagerness, tried to appreciate the anticipation, but he was moving so slowly.
She leaned upwards and into him until at last, her lips met his. She had meant to keep things slow and gentle, at least at first, but he groaned deeply in his throat at her touch, and the sound drew her hands up and around his head, pulling him close to her, pressing their lips harder together. He responded to her touch, mouth parting hers to slip his tongue in to meet hers. He lifted her easily and walked her to the bed, laying her gently beneath him, their lips never ceasing to explore the other's.
Celede shifted to make room for him to lay on the bed beside her, turning him so that she was angled above him instead. She opened her eyes to see his long blonde hair spread across the pillow beneath him, his eyes closed in bliss. She closed hers again, losing herself in the feeling of his lips and tongue against hers, his body warm against hers, his hands exploring her back and neck, tangling in her hair. Celede lost track of the time that had passed. She considered if perhaps Legolas wanted more, as she wanted more, and she gently descended a hand down his neck, down his chest, trailing even farther down…
Legolas stiffened. Celede did the same, eyes flying open to meet Legolas's open blue ones.
"Celede, you know," he began thickly, "you know I want to, and with you, but-"
"Of course," she said quickly, snatching back her hand, but he caught it with his.
"No, hear me out," Legolas said, "I've never- that is, my father was- I was told as a prince that-"
"No need to explain," Celede said hastily, but she paused, meeting Legolas's gaze. His eyes staring intently into hers, desperate to make her understand.
"You are the best, most brilliant, most vibrant star in my life," Legolas said, "The only star in all my years of wandering. I just- I was not prepared for…for this today."
Celede's heart warmed at his words, his uncertainty. Before today, she'd never heard him be anything but self-assured and well-spoken. She smiled crookedly, placing a finger on his lips to stop his sputtering.
"You think that perhaps, for our first time, we can do better than half dressed in dirty clothes lying in a spare room hours before yet another battle for our lives?" she said, making a dramatic show of considering. Legolas bit his lip, nodding slowly and uneasily. The look was so uncharacteristic for him that Celede laughed, leaning forward to kiss him.
"I agree," she said, and she felt his entire body relax beneath her, "Another night for that then. But in exchange, you must kiss me until we fall asleep."
Legolas reached up to meet her lips immediately, his touch soft and warm.
"I will," he said against her lips, "I will kiss you every night until you fall asleep. And I will stay in sleep here with you."
He did not dare to say that he was worried about leaving her alone in sleep after the events of the night before. That was the last thing he would voice to her in this moment, this sweet moment of calm before another storm. Celede was real and here in front of him, and for this time, they could be untroubled and unafraid, lost in the loving touch of the other.
They lay tangled in the bed, enjoying the closeness of the other, until sleep finally claimed Celede. Listening to her gentle breathing, Legolas kissed her forehead one last time and stroked her hair. He himself slipped into a light sleep, determined to also get a few hours of rest before joining Aragorn and Gimli in preparation for the coming night. Soon, too soon, he and Celede would be forced to face another battle alongside their loved ones, with all the fear and worry that came with doing so. For now, though, Legolas thought as he shifted gently beneath Celede, careful not to wake her. For now, they could rest, just the two of them. Nothing else existed besides the feel of each other and the love they shared.