Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own any of the character, places, names, or anything associated with the works of J.R.R Tolkien or the Lord of the Rings (books or movie, whatever). My characters are Anita, Leila, and Arlandria and that is all.
Chapter 42: All Around Me
Time in Lothlorien had turned into a waiting game for Anita. Patience having never been one of her strongest virtues, this presented a problem for the restless elleth. It had taken her a few days to get around to writing a letter home – mostly to silence the nagging of Aragorn- to inform her family of where she was and that she was safe. It had been a short letter, almost curt, but for fear of what she might accidentally let slip if she got wordy, Anita had chosen to keep the letter as short as possible while assuring her family that she was safe in Lorien and her hosts were being very gracious in taking care of her needs. For the sake of safety, the girl hadn't mentioned anything about the Fellowship, the Ring, or even that she had met up with Legolas. It was a lesson she had heard repeatedly under Glorfindel's tutelage, no letter carried by messenger was safe until it was in the hands of the person intended to read it. Better not to risk the lives of people she cared about.
The letter had been sent a whole week after Ani's unexpected arrival within the Golden Wood, and that had been nearly three weeks ago. Every person who had heard of her trek over Caradhras felt compelled to tell her how dangerous the road over that particular mountain was, so it was safe to assume that a messenger from Lorien to Rivendell would have chosen a safer path by which to taker her letter. Ani knew there were other ways around the Misty Mountains, but some of those paths took the better part of a month, and as it was two weeks had tested the limits of her patience. Now the only thing she could do what sit and wait for the envoy her father would send in response to her letter to escort her home; for surely the only response she would get to her letter would be an escort to take her home where the dark haired elleth was certain there was ample punishment waiting to be doled out for her behavior.
The only question that remained was who would depart Lothlorien first; herself with an escort, or the Fellowship to continue their quest. The loss of Gandalf had hit some of the men particularly hard, and as a group the whole Fellowship had chosen to stay within the closely guarded borders of Lorien for nearly a full month in order to regroup. Galadriel and Celeborn seemed only too pleased to offer their peoples' provisions and protection in service of the Quest to destroy the Ring. But it left Anita and Legolas in a tense situation where they knew the hour of their separation was hastening towards them, but not knowing exactly when was like standing in a totally dark room with zero visibility and waiting for someone to strike out at her. Perhaps the reality that they were going to be parted again wouldn't have been so harsh if they had been able to spend any time together alone. But if Anita thought she had little privacy in Rivendell, then she had absolutely none in Lothlorien. Beyond the fact that Elves naturally had excellent hearing, nevermind the lack of any real walls, Galadriel's terrifying ability to read minds meant there would be no hope of keeping a secret from her.
With an irritated sigh, Ani dropped the pencil she had been holding, letting it fall to the surface of the little writing desk with a plunk before it started to roll in the direction of the table's edge. Without much success the elleth had been trying to keep her mind busy and off somber topic bent on destroying her mood, her choice of distraction as always was drawing. But her depiction of the ornately woven branches and boughs that made up the buildings in Caras Galadhon lacked any real inspiration, as her mind was burdened by other thoughts. Any minute a rider from home would come with orders from her father to take her back to the Valley of Imladris, and she would be forced to give a shallow farewell to the elf she loved. The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs drew her attention away from the disappointing art in front of her to the doorway where she looked expectantly.
"Ani?" Legolas' voice from the other side of the curtain brought a smile to the girl's lips as she stood and padded barefoot over to her pavilions' entrance, drawing the fabric aside to let him in. As the Elven Prince stepped inside her quarters from the fading light of the evening, the happy expression fell from her face when she got a good look at his features. Legolas didn't appear even a little bit happy to be here with her, in fact his expression was borderline despondent. Coming from him, that meant there was a decisive lack of good news.
"You're leaving aren't you." It wasn't a question, it didn't have to be, the look on his face said everything.
With a singular nod of his blonde head he responded, "With the enemies' strength growing everyday Aragorn fears that we have lingered here too long, and he is eager for our journey to continue."
"I'm sure he's right," Ani said, reluctant to agree to anything that meant saying goodbye to Legolas again, "When?"
"In the morning. All the provisions we need to continue on our way have been set aside by Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, there is no further reason for us to delay." She could only nod her head in agreement with Legolas' words, having nothing to say either to add to the point nor argue with it. They had afterall been waiting the hour they would have to depart each other's company, and now came the strike in the dark they were waiting for. It didn't make it hurt any less in Anita's opinion. The two elves stood silently in the room, unable to make eye contact for fear of what emotions would be betrayed in their eyes.
"I will be sorry to leave you again." It was a safe comment coming from Legolas, safe to the point of being considered cold. To hell with this, Ani thought, stepping forward boldly to grasp his face in her hands and place an unbridled kiss on his mouth. She hadn't trekked over a mountain and gotten smacked around by a troll to NOT get any time with the man she had left home for in the first place. The prince didn't require any encouragement before he returned the kiss with fervor. All too soon, Legolas broke the kiss, pulling away from her lips but just barely, "Anita…" The tone of caution in his words spoke volumes, carrying a clear message in the silence that followed her name.
"What can they do to us if you are leaving in the morning?" Ani answered his unspoken question without hesitation, her lips readily hovering near his. Damn her logic. It seemed to Legolas that the only time the girl posed an infallible argument was when they were most likely to get in trouble. She was right though, what punishment could possibly be extracted when he would soon be leaving the borders?
Dipping his head, Legolas closed the gap between their lips with unreserved passion, pulling Ani close against his body. As their tongues fought for dominance, desire grew and spiraled upward between them until neither elf was satisfied merely with the touch of lips. Like a well-choreographed dance, the two moved in unison towards the small day bed without having to break their kiss or their touch. When the back of his leg bumped the bed the Prince sat down on the mattress, allowing Anita to unabashedly climb onto his lap to straddle him. Her slim nimble fingers immediately set to undoing to clasps on the front of his tunic, quickly and easily opening the fasteners to leave his chest bare. Sliding the fabric off his shoulders and discarding it on the floor, the girl broke the kiss to sit back and take in the view of her half naked lover, running her fingers over the taut muscles of his chest. As her fingers explored, Anita caught Legolas' eye and held his gaze; which had grown dark and hungry with the teasing touches of her hands.
Unable to withstand any longer, Legolas pulled her close again; his fingers slid under the hem of her green dress, which had inched its way up her legs in their position, and in one swift motion pulled the unwanted clothing over her head leaving her quite naked in his lap. His mouth descended upon the tender skin of her neck, kissing and nibbling a trail down to her collar bone, the elf reveling in the soft gasps and moans he was eliciting from Ani. As his lips continued to taste along her collar bone, Anita's finger hand found their way between the two bodies and began working at the knot in the front of his trousers, desperate to reduce Legolas to the same level of nakedness as her. While trying to undo the knot, her hand brushed against Legolas' growing hardness, causing him to grunt and bite down on the skin just above her breast. A small cry escaped her throat as the pain from the bite mixed with the feeling of pleasure as the elf laved his tongue over the red mark. With one final deft tug, the knot came undone and Ani eagerly loosened the laces on his trousers. As she wrapped her fingers around his hardened length, his mouth latched on to one rosy peak of her breast, causing them to gasp in unison.
Legolas didn't want to wait any longer. His self-restraint had unraveled a little more every day that he had been in Lothlorien and had to keep his distance in accordance with social protocol, but he wanted her and he was going to have her. Gripping her hips in his strong and capable hands, the Elven Prince guided Ani's hips forward until his tip was teasing her entrance. Anita's hands moved to Legolas' shoulders and held on tightly to the well toned muscled beneath her fingers, anchoring herself in preparation for the flood of sensation that would overtake her at any second. Pushing up inside of her, the prince buried his face in the soft mounds of her breast to try and muffle the sounds of a drawn out groan. With his hands still gripping her tightly, their hips moved together at a vigorous pace; any sense of self control either of them had was long gone. Ani's nails bit into his skin as her grasp on his shoulder tightened with every passionate thrust of their hips together, her head was thrown back and her eyes squeezed closed, enjoying the mounting ecstasy that the angle of his plunging organ gave her.
Surrendering his grip on her right hip, Legolas threaded his fingers into the raven locks at the nape of her neck and pulled slightly. His impulsive move earned him a lusty cry from the woman in his lap as she bucked her hips against him wildly. Anita's breathing was coming in short throaty gasps, signaling to Legolas that his lover was quickly nearing her point of release. "Legolas…" The breathy moan drew the princes gaze up to Ani's face, where an expression of pure euphoria was painted across her lovely features. Using his hold on the back of her head, Legolas maneuvered Ani so he could gaze fully at her face.
"Look at me." His voice was raw and husky with the efforts of their activities; nevertheless, Ani obeyed the command and her brown eyes locked onto his dark blues. There was something intensely erotic about gazing into each other's eyes as their bodies continued to fulfill their primal needs. Her hands slid from his shoulder to encompass his face, their foreheads nearly touching , their eyes unwaveringly locked together. Legolas began thrusting harder and faster, speeding up the pace of their coupling until Anita's back arched with the reaching of her climax. The prince wrapped both his strong arms around her thin body, pulling them close together as the waves of Ani's orgasm washed over her, pushing him over the edge to his own satisfying release. They remained locked together as the overwhelming sensations moments before began to subside, their lips meeting in soft gentle kisses.
"Stay with me," Anita whispered between tender kisses. Legolas didn't respond straightway, instead he adjusted their position until he could guide her naked form into a laying position on the bed and he could snuggle in next to her on the small mattress. As night waned on the elves' limbs remained steadfastly locked around the other, Legolas continued to pepper Ani's face and neck with butterfly light kisses throughout the night.
Anita couldn't remember when it was during the night she had fallen asleep, but she awoke when the light from the sun was only barely beginning to illuminate the world outside. Legolas' arms were still around her, holding her smaller frame against his, and his steady breathing was tickling her left ear. Rolling over slightly within his grasp, the elleth opened her eyes and was greeted by Legolas' gaze. "Creeper," She snickered unaccusingly, " Have you been staring at me all night?"
"It amuses me greatly to watch you sleep," He replied, brushing the untamed dark tresses of her hair from her face, "You are still human in many ways." He began to kiss her earlobe while his hand roamed over the curves of her body, and Ani began to wonder if they had time for one more romp before someone came looking for them. Just as her body began to react to his early morning loving attention, he whispered two words that brought Anita up short. "Marry me."
Ani swore she must have heard him wrong, there was no other explanation for such a bizarre utterance. Even so, every muscle and tendon stiffened to the snapping point as her heart began to race and panic shivered up her spine. "W—what?"
"When I return from this quest, I want you to become my wife." In a single and effortlessly fluid motion, Anita rolled out of bed and Legolas' hold, snapped up her discarded dress from the night before, and pulled it over her head as she came to a standing position. The sudden movement from her startled Legolas who sat up in the bed with a befuddled look etched on his fair face.
"Are you insane?" She squeaked, " Are you out of your mind?" Legolas didn't have an immediate answer for her, struck mute by the ferocity with which Ani responded to his proposal. "Who the hell just springs that on a person first thing in the morning?! And what even makes you think Thranduil would let us get married in the first place since your father was never a fan of us being together?"
"I have allowed my father the power to make many decisions in my life," Legolas' reply was cool and even, despite the fact that the girl he was addressing had begun pacing restlessly back and forth across the small room, "Whom I marry is a choice that is mine alone to make, my father has no say."
" Yeah I think we both know he will see that differently." She raked her fingers through her hair so harshly that the prince was surprised that she hadn't pulled loose some strands.
"May I ask," Legolas started slowly, picking his words with great care, " why it is with so little attempt at sparing my feelings I am thus rejected?"
Anita sat down hard in the chair that was across from the bed, her head in her hands as an unfamiliar and unexpected wave of nausea came crashing over her. "Oh my god Legolas," She said exasperated, " We never once, not one time, ever discussed the subject of marriage. I don't…we can't…this isn't… In Tucson when you say "til death do us part' you are betting like sixty maybe seventy years max, but here we're talking about THOUSANDS of years—I can't even wrap my head around that concept yet. I'm twenty-five years old, I'm not ready for this, we are not ready for this." It was at that point that Ani realized she had begun to hyperventilate, her breathing coming in strained and rapid gulps of air.
Legolas stood and retrieved his tunic from the floor, his pants and boots having never been removed the night before, and dressed himself. The look on his face was of absolute dejection, and when Ani finally looked up from her small meltdown, she saw the look of hurt on his face. No matter how strong he was and how well he could disguise it, Legolas looked hurt and it killed Ani to know that it was her fault. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, it was the last thing she ever wanted to do, but the fear that had surged through her couldn't be quashed. Standing in spite of the feeling of dizziness that accompanied her movements, Ani moved to stand in front of the door to block Legolas' departure before she could more fully explain herself.
"Wait. I am not saying no, Legolas. I'm saying that I need time to sort this out. As it is you have to focus on finishing this quest first before we can talk about what happens after Sauron is defeated. But I promise, I swear here and now, that when you return I will have an answer for you." She reached up to brush her fingers over his cheek before reaching up to press a short kiss to his mouth, "I love you."
The utterance of those three words, which a few months ago wouldn't have even been in the realm of possible things to say, brightened the prince's expression considerably and he returned the chaste kiss. "Will you come down to the river to see us depart?"
"Of course."
"Then I will leave before we are discovered together." He kissed her again before disappearing out of the room and down the stairs to return to the encampment where the rest of the Fellowship has slept the night. As he left, Ani leaned against the frame where the curtain that served as a door hung, emotionally exhausted by the events of the last fifteen minutes. She took a few deep breathes to steady her nerves and calm her mind as she tried to wrangle her jumbling thoughts together. An impromptu marriage proposal was certainly not how she had expected to start her morning off, it wasn't how she had expected to start any morning off. Ani loved Legolas, of that there were no more doubts, but marriage? How could she even begin to contemplate the idea of marriage, and to the crown prince of a whole realm? A heavy sigh escaped her as her thoughts began to swirl beyond her control. She had promised him an answer by the time he returned from Mordor, and Anita was beyond positive that whether it be next week or next decade that he return, the only thought that would occupy her mind between now and then would be the question of matrimony.
All Around Me- Flyleaf