"Why must we leave tonight? It's cold and I'm tired and..."
"If it is truly any of those things you wouldn't have been so eager to go downstairs and get something to drink with that little plan in your head." Legolas sneered. WHY must she be SO difficult? "Just make about anything you can harder than it should be!"
"I do not." Aunorey shot back.
"Do, too."
"Do not."
"Do, too."
"Do NOT!"
"If you don't then why must you argue back like a child?
"You argue back and you're twenty... three? Four? I forget, but still, I am only nineteen! I have more of a right to act like a child then you, Your Highness."
"It's twenty-two and no, neither of us has the right to act CHILDish. Although a child is still basically what you are." Legolas began to walk back towards the inn.
"I am no where NEAR being a child anymore! I have been through so much, you have no idea! I... I... You don't know what you are talking about! How dare you? You are.."
"Is this the reason you can't go back home? Or are you still trying to come up with some good story to make me feel sorry for you and not make you go back home? Hmmm?"
Aunorey's lips worked but didn't open. What to say? What to say? "Arse!" She spat out. "I don't lie, and I never make things up. But yes, what I have been through is why I can NOT go back home."
"Then why don't you... eh... tell me, what it is you've supposedly been through, and then... well, maybe then, we could negotiate?" Legolas leaned back against the horse slightly, raising his eyebrows.
"No. I'll never tell you, no one needs to know."
"What is so private that no one needs to know?"
"You keep asking stupid questions like that knowing you'll get no honest answer."
Legolas snorted. "At least I'm trying, aren't I?"
"Why do you want to know? You're just SO ready to drag me back home and be claimed a hero for capturing the insane run away!"
"I am not." Legolas said arrogantly. "I just think you should be at home, where you belong."
"So you can torture me even more." Aunorey said under her breath.
"Torture? I've never once tortured you. I've played a few harmless pranks, I suppose... But nothing TERRIBLE." He looked at her for a moment, and then a sarcastic grin spread across his handsome face. He placed a hand on his chest, another behind his back and bowed slightly. "Please, madam, tell me it is not I who is making you run away from your home? My TORTURE and my stupid tricks have seriously cause you SO much harm?"
Aunorey wanted to spit at him.
She wanted to bite him.
She wanted to scream at him.
She wanted to cut his pretty blonde hair off with sheers.
But she kept her wits about her and answered meekly. "Why, yes, yes it is Prince Legolas, you have made me lie to my parents and run away from home. What horrible circumstances you have put me in." She walked away.
"Where are you going?" Legolas laughed, coming after her.
"You are so stupid." Aunorey said, grabbing her things off the porch.
"Me?"
"You're the only one I seem to be talking to..."
Legolas gave a low growl and blew out his breath, brushing his hair back over his shoulders as he jogged up the stairs to catch her. "Where ARE you going?"
"To my room."
Legolas's eyebrows narrowed. "I said we're leaving."
"YOU may leave, but I plan on sleeping tonight in a bed. I am exhausted, thank you."
Legolas pulled on her arm. "We are leaving."
"No... I am not."
"Yes, you are."
Aunorey pulled her arm out of his grasp. "What is WITH you, Legolas? It's almost ten o'clock, and I am TIRED. You should be, too. Come now, go to your room and sleep. We'll leave in the morning. Is that all right?"
"How do I know you won't leave during the night?"
She yawned. "Do I seem THAT dumb?"
Legolas gave her the look.
"Ah. Well, good night."
Legolas grabbed her wrist again. "Will you STOP doing that?" She whined.
"I'm going in there with you. I'll sit on a chair and when you wake, we will leave."
"I don't want you to watch me sleep."
"I won't WATCH you sleep, I'll only be in the room. To make you keep your word and don't leave."
Pushing the door in, Aunorey gave him an annoyed look and closed the door behind him. "Fine," she said, showing she was clearly irritated. Setting her things down on a trunk, she went over to the wash basin and washed her face and cleaned her mouth out. Not bothering to change or even make sure Legolas was comfortable, she quickly lit a fire in the hearth, blew out a candle she had left burning, went to bed and promptly fell asleep.
Legolas rose from where he had been sitting half an hour later, and came over to kneel by where Aunorey lay. "Wow," he said quietly. "You must have truly been tired."
She was laying on her stomach, he could see the side of her breast, and her cheek rested on top of a hand with her other at her side. Her long, dark hair looked almost bluish black with golden red threading through it, and it scattered along her back and down her sides. Legolas couldn't help himself, and he reached over and tucked some loose strands behind her ear. He listened to her breathe, watched the gently rise and fall of her back, and watched her sleep...
"If it is truly any of those things you wouldn't have been so eager to go downstairs and get something to drink with that little plan in your head." Legolas sneered. WHY must she be SO difficult? "Just make about anything you can harder than it should be!"
"I do not." Aunorey shot back.
"Do, too."
"Do not."
"Do, too."
"Do NOT!"
"If you don't then why must you argue back like a child?
"You argue back and you're twenty... three? Four? I forget, but still, I am only nineteen! I have more of a right to act like a child then you, Your Highness."
"It's twenty-two and no, neither of us has the right to act CHILDish. Although a child is still basically what you are." Legolas began to walk back towards the inn.
"I am no where NEAR being a child anymore! I have been through so much, you have no idea! I... I... You don't know what you are talking about! How dare you? You are.."
"Is this the reason you can't go back home? Or are you still trying to come up with some good story to make me feel sorry for you and not make you go back home? Hmmm?"
Aunorey's lips worked but didn't open. What to say? What to say? "Arse!" She spat out. "I don't lie, and I never make things up. But yes, what I have been through is why I can NOT go back home."
"Then why don't you... eh... tell me, what it is you've supposedly been through, and then... well, maybe then, we could negotiate?" Legolas leaned back against the horse slightly, raising his eyebrows.
"No. I'll never tell you, no one needs to know."
"What is so private that no one needs to know?"
"You keep asking stupid questions like that knowing you'll get no honest answer."
Legolas snorted. "At least I'm trying, aren't I?"
"Why do you want to know? You're just SO ready to drag me back home and be claimed a hero for capturing the insane run away!"
"I am not." Legolas said arrogantly. "I just think you should be at home, where you belong."
"So you can torture me even more." Aunorey said under her breath.
"Torture? I've never once tortured you. I've played a few harmless pranks, I suppose... But nothing TERRIBLE." He looked at her for a moment, and then a sarcastic grin spread across his handsome face. He placed a hand on his chest, another behind his back and bowed slightly. "Please, madam, tell me it is not I who is making you run away from your home? My TORTURE and my stupid tricks have seriously cause you SO much harm?"
Aunorey wanted to spit at him.
She wanted to bite him.
She wanted to scream at him.
She wanted to cut his pretty blonde hair off with sheers.
But she kept her wits about her and answered meekly. "Why, yes, yes it is Prince Legolas, you have made me lie to my parents and run away from home. What horrible circumstances you have put me in." She walked away.
"Where are you going?" Legolas laughed, coming after her.
"You are so stupid." Aunorey said, grabbing her things off the porch.
"Me?"
"You're the only one I seem to be talking to..."
Legolas gave a low growl and blew out his breath, brushing his hair back over his shoulders as he jogged up the stairs to catch her. "Where ARE you going?"
"To my room."
Legolas's eyebrows narrowed. "I said we're leaving."
"YOU may leave, but I plan on sleeping tonight in a bed. I am exhausted, thank you."
Legolas pulled on her arm. "We are leaving."
"No... I am not."
"Yes, you are."
Aunorey pulled her arm out of his grasp. "What is WITH you, Legolas? It's almost ten o'clock, and I am TIRED. You should be, too. Come now, go to your room and sleep. We'll leave in the morning. Is that all right?"
"How do I know you won't leave during the night?"
She yawned. "Do I seem THAT dumb?"
Legolas gave her the look.
"Ah. Well, good night."
Legolas grabbed her wrist again. "Will you STOP doing that?" She whined.
"I'm going in there with you. I'll sit on a chair and when you wake, we will leave."
"I don't want you to watch me sleep."
"I won't WATCH you sleep, I'll only be in the room. To make you keep your word and don't leave."
Pushing the door in, Aunorey gave him an annoyed look and closed the door behind him. "Fine," she said, showing she was clearly irritated. Setting her things down on a trunk, she went over to the wash basin and washed her face and cleaned her mouth out. Not bothering to change or even make sure Legolas was comfortable, she quickly lit a fire in the hearth, blew out a candle she had left burning, went to bed and promptly fell asleep.
Legolas rose from where he had been sitting half an hour later, and came over to kneel by where Aunorey lay. "Wow," he said quietly. "You must have truly been tired."
She was laying on her stomach, he could see the side of her breast, and her cheek rested on top of a hand with her other at her side. Her long, dark hair looked almost bluish black with golden red threading through it, and it scattered along her back and down her sides. Legolas couldn't help himself, and he reached over and tucked some loose strands behind her ear. He listened to her breathe, watched the gently rise and fall of her back, and watched her sleep...