Aunorey knew what lay ahead for that night. There would be some talk, and meals, maybe they would even go dancing again... But there would be love making. From the way Legolas was treating her, she couldn't tell if he was truly changing or if he just wanted a little something. She hoped he was changing for the better, was pretty sure it was, but didn't want to get her hopes up. Love was overrated. What was love anyway?
That night, Aunorey sat in the window seat, brushing her wet hair. Legolas was still in the tub, which was a huge thing, over by the fire. He looked like he was sleeping, his arms resting over the sides, steam rising, his chest moving slowly with his breaths. His long hair was wet and shiny in the firelight, and Aunorey was in the mood for lovemaking.
Before she knew what she was doing, she stood up, and wandered over by the tub, pretending to look for a book. She passed by the tub again, and saw Legolas open his eyes. The third time by, she asked "Legolas, have you seen my book-" And felt a large hand wrap around her wrist.
She stopped, and looked down at him. His eyes were a smoky gray in the weird light, and he pulled her, robe and all, into the tub. He kissed her, untying the sopping wet robe and letting it float in the water, pushing his hands inside to touch her skin. He switched directions, laying her down and getting on top, his tongue searching her mouth.
Aunorey had seen him... he was large. Very large. How that thing fit without hurting, and gave so much pleasure, she had no idea. But she loved it.
Reaching up and taking the robe off her shoulders, he pushed it down til it was bunched at their feet. It looked pitch black in the tub, the only light provided by the fire and moonlight.
Aunorey reached under and filled her hand with him, and watched as his eyes opened with surprise and wonder and he gasped. He looked down at her and smiled. He entered her slowly, with her hand still wrapped around him, and made love to her until they were both exhausted and more than wet...
Later, Aunorey climbed out of the lukewarm water, and began toweling off. Legolas was watching her dry herself and climbed out himself, and didn't let her finish drying off... The sheets dried both of them.
The next morning, Aunorey woke late. Legolas was still sleeping, which didn't surprise her, and she turned to cuddle into his side.
She didn't want this to change, and the thought of returning home made tears spring to her eyes. Her marrying the prince was impossible, his parents probably wanted him to marry someone with pure blue blood... Her father was born royal, her mother had been married into it.
She sighed, and drifted back to sleep.
In the morning, Aunorey woke after Legolas, which was a first. She rolled over to find the comfort of his strong body and when all that filled her arms was air, she opened her eyes and watched him as he shaved a few feet away. A small smile played around her lips and she closed her eyes, rolling over. How lovely he looked wearing breeches...
She groaned, Snap OUT of it! She yelled inside her head. This can't lead to anywhere! This is just a one week thing, a thing that's going to end. He doesn't love you, you know that... But wait, do I love him?
She snapped out of her thoughts as she suddenly opened her eyes and Legolas was staring down at her. Aunorey gave a small yelp and leaped up, covering her bare breasts with the sheet. She laughed, then, when she saw the humour in his eyes, and sat still, her warm, naked back felt a cold drift and gooseskin raised along her skin...
Legolas was in love.
No, not love. Just in love with the vision, he warned himself. He watched Aunorey as she sat up, her eyes still half closed, her naked body covered only in a sheet. Her long, wavy hair shown red with glinting gold and darker strands in the sunlight that shown in through a curtained window above the bed. Her white, porcelein skin was smooth... and suddenly he looked down at her shoulders and neck and chest where red scrapes grazed her skin. He realized they were from his morning beard, and guilt flooded his chest. He sat down and grabbed her, and felt her tense with surprise before holding onto him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that to you." He groaned.
Aunorey laughed. "Do what, Legolas?" Although her tone was supposed to sound jovial and laughing, there was fear laced in it. What if he meant he regreted last night or...
"For the scrapes, I didn't mean to do that to you. Does it hurt?" Legolas drew back, lightly brushing his long, strong, clever... beautiful fingers over the small red spots. She laughed, covering his hand with hers.
"Oh," Aunorey choked out, the relief in her voice was almost embarrassing. "Those. I didn't even know... It's okay, it's okay." She rubbed his hand, kissing his cheek. "I need to get up."
Legolas's mouth was grim with worry. What if they hurt her? He couldn't bear hurting her... "Are you hungry? Do you need anything?"
Aunorey laughed again. "No, just help me up and help me find my clothes."
Legolas pulled her out of bed, sheet and all, and pulled her against him. He lowered his head and lightly brushed his lips over hers, then pressed his mouth to hers. He pulled back, "I just needed... wanted... to do that." He smiled when he saw the bashful smile on herown lips, and a pink flush gave her clear white skin a beautiful tint. He groaned and kissed her again, but let go... Because if he got into it, neither of them would be out of there until nightfall...
Aunorey sat in front of Legolas on the horse. Their hips swaying together to the horse's lazy rhythem. Legolas's hands encircled her waist, and she leaned against him, neither of them saying a word. They were on a road going by a small old town, and children and youngsters ran around, laughing and playing a few yards off. Neat, rustic cottages with flower boxes and pots of herbs lined the roads. It was a truly beautiful sight.
They went along, under a canopy of trees that filtered the warm sunlight. The brown dirt road held the shadows and spots of sunlight.
Everything is so beautiful... Aunorey thought. I can't think of anything to say...
Legolas was going crazy at the feel of Aunorey's body pressed intimately between his legs. Her rubbed her side, her ears, her neck... He couldn't get enough. If this was love, he told himself, then so be it. Just don't make the mistake of saying it out loud, he growled inside his head.
After a lazy, long, and comfortable silence, Legolas cleared his throat. "So... I've been thinking..." he began, "about Mariu..." He felt her tense. "Calm down," he rubbed her collarbone and kissed the side of her face. "Aunorey, just thinking about him makes me angry. I cannot believe that he would believe he has the right to do that to you. I won't ask why you let him... for the answer to that was quite clear, but honestly, I swear on my life, he will pay for it!"
Aunorey started at the vicious sound of his voice as he spat out the last few words. She felt his hand slide from her collarbone to her arm and rub in a soothing motion. She heard him take a few deep breaths, felt him relax, and then listened as his beautiful, strong voice went on. "Aunorey, you know I won't let anyone hurt you. This hurts me... I don't understand it but it's painful. The thought of you touching him..." His voice caught, and he cleared his throat. "I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm going to stop him, and he's going to hurt in the process."
Aunorey sighed, leaning against his chest, feeling his strength. "Isn't it funny," she began quietly. "That not less than three weeks ago we were bickering?" She took his hand and laced her fingers through his. "How did we get here?"
Legolas bent over and caught her earlobe beneath his teeth, making her laugh. "Don't change the subject."
"Well! I don't know what to say, but I will tell you this: I promise I won't see Mariu anymore; I won't speak to him, I won't look at him... Things are just over. Just don't do anything rash."
Legolas contemplated that, and instead of dragging on the issue that caused rage so terrible that his chest felt as though it were on fire, he changed to her topic. "Yes, it is crazy that we were bickering not so long ago..." He sighed, massaging her hand with his thumb. "I had no idea we'd end up here, Aunorey. And I..." Legolas's mouth was right by her ear, and the deep timber of it was causing chills to run up and down her spine. "Maybe I wanted this for a while? I don't know... I'm sorry, Aunorey, for everything hurtful I've said to you. Surely you know I didn't mean it."
"Then why did we do it? Why did we fight and say those things to each other?" Aunorey's eyes stung as she recalled some of the nasty fights they'd had. The last one had been quite stupid, but had hurt them both...
"I don't know why you're choosing to fight about this NOW, but I can assure you that I did not!" Aunorey shouted over her shoulder to Legolas who stalked a few feet behind her. He was following her to her house, and she was getting angrier with every footstep.
"Well, I didn't make a scene the last time you said something rude to me at the table!" Legolas shot back.
"You had both of us excused from the table, how embarrassing! We are able to have a nice dinner with Ophelia and her family, and yet you never fail to get both of us in trouble!"
"If YOU hadn't decided to be a smart ass..."
Aunorey wirled around, her fury shown in her eyes, the emerald colour of the dress brought out the biting colour of them, and it swished and swirled around her feet. She stalked towards him, and he stood still, and watched as she pointed a finger and poked as hard as she could without breaking her finger in the middle of his chest. "I am NOT a smart ass, thank you, and I am not embarrassed about our little CONVERSATION but humiliated that you had to raise your voice and get us kicked out! You are the most crude, insufferable..."
Legolas grabbed her wrist, careful not to brush but to have a firm hold. "Don't, Aunorey." He bit out. "You shouldn't have called me an insufferable ass in there..."
"Why?" She spat out. "Because your arrogance won't allow it? Or your pride?!"
Legolas let go of her and shoved her away. "You're so full of it." He began walking away.
"Yes, see!" Aunorey taunted. "Whenever anyone comes close to the truth you run away!"
Legolas whipped around, his eyes shining in the moonlight. "DON'T," he said quietly, venom in his words. "Offend me, or think you know me, Aunorey Arrowin, for that is the biggest mistake you could make."
Aunorey backed off, a dozen retorts on the tip of her tongue. But he was Prince... "Agh!" She shook her head, her beautiful tresses moving with the motion of her head. She spun around and walked down the hall.
Aunorey knew it wasn't the words spoken that night, but the emotions. Tension, hatred, dislike, malice... from every single bad thing they had done and said to each other had made the air so thick in that hallway you could have sliced it with a butterknife. "Are you okay?" She heard Legolas ask.
"Yes, yes..." She gave a nervous laugh. "What were you saying?"
"I said that I think the reason we fought so much was because we never really talked, never knew each other..." He put his chin on her shoulder and his cheek next to hers. "Were we hiding feelings for each other?"
Aunorey's heartbeat sped up, and her eyes were wild. What was he going to say... "Maybe." She answered.
Legolas leaned back, rolled his head to relieve the stiffness in his shoulders. "No more fighting, okay?"
"When we get back, Legolas... Things will change, won't they?"
Legolas was silent for a moment. "I don't know, Aunorey... I really don't know."
Aunorey wanted to cry, but sat and listened as Legolas began a song a few moments later, his voice drifting through the leaves, through her mind and her heart....
That night, Aunorey sat in the window seat, brushing her wet hair. Legolas was still in the tub, which was a huge thing, over by the fire. He looked like he was sleeping, his arms resting over the sides, steam rising, his chest moving slowly with his breaths. His long hair was wet and shiny in the firelight, and Aunorey was in the mood for lovemaking.
Before she knew what she was doing, she stood up, and wandered over by the tub, pretending to look for a book. She passed by the tub again, and saw Legolas open his eyes. The third time by, she asked "Legolas, have you seen my book-" And felt a large hand wrap around her wrist.
She stopped, and looked down at him. His eyes were a smoky gray in the weird light, and he pulled her, robe and all, into the tub. He kissed her, untying the sopping wet robe and letting it float in the water, pushing his hands inside to touch her skin. He switched directions, laying her down and getting on top, his tongue searching her mouth.
Aunorey had seen him... he was large. Very large. How that thing fit without hurting, and gave so much pleasure, she had no idea. But she loved it.
Reaching up and taking the robe off her shoulders, he pushed it down til it was bunched at their feet. It looked pitch black in the tub, the only light provided by the fire and moonlight.
Aunorey reached under and filled her hand with him, and watched as his eyes opened with surprise and wonder and he gasped. He looked down at her and smiled. He entered her slowly, with her hand still wrapped around him, and made love to her until they were both exhausted and more than wet...
Later, Aunorey climbed out of the lukewarm water, and began toweling off. Legolas was watching her dry herself and climbed out himself, and didn't let her finish drying off... The sheets dried both of them.
The next morning, Aunorey woke late. Legolas was still sleeping, which didn't surprise her, and she turned to cuddle into his side.
She didn't want this to change, and the thought of returning home made tears spring to her eyes. Her marrying the prince was impossible, his parents probably wanted him to marry someone with pure blue blood... Her father was born royal, her mother had been married into it.
She sighed, and drifted back to sleep.
In the morning, Aunorey woke after Legolas, which was a first. She rolled over to find the comfort of his strong body and when all that filled her arms was air, she opened her eyes and watched him as he shaved a few feet away. A small smile played around her lips and she closed her eyes, rolling over. How lovely he looked wearing breeches...
She groaned, Snap OUT of it! She yelled inside her head. This can't lead to anywhere! This is just a one week thing, a thing that's going to end. He doesn't love you, you know that... But wait, do I love him?
She snapped out of her thoughts as she suddenly opened her eyes and Legolas was staring down at her. Aunorey gave a small yelp and leaped up, covering her bare breasts with the sheet. She laughed, then, when she saw the humour in his eyes, and sat still, her warm, naked back felt a cold drift and gooseskin raised along her skin...
Legolas was in love.
No, not love. Just in love with the vision, he warned himself. He watched Aunorey as she sat up, her eyes still half closed, her naked body covered only in a sheet. Her long, wavy hair shown red with glinting gold and darker strands in the sunlight that shown in through a curtained window above the bed. Her white, porcelein skin was smooth... and suddenly he looked down at her shoulders and neck and chest where red scrapes grazed her skin. He realized they were from his morning beard, and guilt flooded his chest. He sat down and grabbed her, and felt her tense with surprise before holding onto him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that to you." He groaned.
Aunorey laughed. "Do what, Legolas?" Although her tone was supposed to sound jovial and laughing, there was fear laced in it. What if he meant he regreted last night or...
"For the scrapes, I didn't mean to do that to you. Does it hurt?" Legolas drew back, lightly brushing his long, strong, clever... beautiful fingers over the small red spots. She laughed, covering his hand with hers.
"Oh," Aunorey choked out, the relief in her voice was almost embarrassing. "Those. I didn't even know... It's okay, it's okay." She rubbed his hand, kissing his cheek. "I need to get up."
Legolas's mouth was grim with worry. What if they hurt her? He couldn't bear hurting her... "Are you hungry? Do you need anything?"
Aunorey laughed again. "No, just help me up and help me find my clothes."
Legolas pulled her out of bed, sheet and all, and pulled her against him. He lowered his head and lightly brushed his lips over hers, then pressed his mouth to hers. He pulled back, "I just needed... wanted... to do that." He smiled when he saw the bashful smile on herown lips, and a pink flush gave her clear white skin a beautiful tint. He groaned and kissed her again, but let go... Because if he got into it, neither of them would be out of there until nightfall...
Aunorey sat in front of Legolas on the horse. Their hips swaying together to the horse's lazy rhythem. Legolas's hands encircled her waist, and she leaned against him, neither of them saying a word. They were on a road going by a small old town, and children and youngsters ran around, laughing and playing a few yards off. Neat, rustic cottages with flower boxes and pots of herbs lined the roads. It was a truly beautiful sight.
They went along, under a canopy of trees that filtered the warm sunlight. The brown dirt road held the shadows and spots of sunlight.
Everything is so beautiful... Aunorey thought. I can't think of anything to say...
Legolas was going crazy at the feel of Aunorey's body pressed intimately between his legs. Her rubbed her side, her ears, her neck... He couldn't get enough. If this was love, he told himself, then so be it. Just don't make the mistake of saying it out loud, he growled inside his head.
After a lazy, long, and comfortable silence, Legolas cleared his throat. "So... I've been thinking..." he began, "about Mariu..." He felt her tense. "Calm down," he rubbed her collarbone and kissed the side of her face. "Aunorey, just thinking about him makes me angry. I cannot believe that he would believe he has the right to do that to you. I won't ask why you let him... for the answer to that was quite clear, but honestly, I swear on my life, he will pay for it!"
Aunorey started at the vicious sound of his voice as he spat out the last few words. She felt his hand slide from her collarbone to her arm and rub in a soothing motion. She heard him take a few deep breaths, felt him relax, and then listened as his beautiful, strong voice went on. "Aunorey, you know I won't let anyone hurt you. This hurts me... I don't understand it but it's painful. The thought of you touching him..." His voice caught, and he cleared his throat. "I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm going to stop him, and he's going to hurt in the process."
Aunorey sighed, leaning against his chest, feeling his strength. "Isn't it funny," she began quietly. "That not less than three weeks ago we were bickering?" She took his hand and laced her fingers through his. "How did we get here?"
Legolas bent over and caught her earlobe beneath his teeth, making her laugh. "Don't change the subject."
"Well! I don't know what to say, but I will tell you this: I promise I won't see Mariu anymore; I won't speak to him, I won't look at him... Things are just over. Just don't do anything rash."
Legolas contemplated that, and instead of dragging on the issue that caused rage so terrible that his chest felt as though it were on fire, he changed to her topic. "Yes, it is crazy that we were bickering not so long ago..." He sighed, massaging her hand with his thumb. "I had no idea we'd end up here, Aunorey. And I..." Legolas's mouth was right by her ear, and the deep timber of it was causing chills to run up and down her spine. "Maybe I wanted this for a while? I don't know... I'm sorry, Aunorey, for everything hurtful I've said to you. Surely you know I didn't mean it."
"Then why did we do it? Why did we fight and say those things to each other?" Aunorey's eyes stung as she recalled some of the nasty fights they'd had. The last one had been quite stupid, but had hurt them both...
"I don't know why you're choosing to fight about this NOW, but I can assure you that I did not!" Aunorey shouted over her shoulder to Legolas who stalked a few feet behind her. He was following her to her house, and she was getting angrier with every footstep.
"Well, I didn't make a scene the last time you said something rude to me at the table!" Legolas shot back.
"You had both of us excused from the table, how embarrassing! We are able to have a nice dinner with Ophelia and her family, and yet you never fail to get both of us in trouble!"
"If YOU hadn't decided to be a smart ass..."
Aunorey wirled around, her fury shown in her eyes, the emerald colour of the dress brought out the biting colour of them, and it swished and swirled around her feet. She stalked towards him, and he stood still, and watched as she pointed a finger and poked as hard as she could without breaking her finger in the middle of his chest. "I am NOT a smart ass, thank you, and I am not embarrassed about our little CONVERSATION but humiliated that you had to raise your voice and get us kicked out! You are the most crude, insufferable..."
Legolas grabbed her wrist, careful not to brush but to have a firm hold. "Don't, Aunorey." He bit out. "You shouldn't have called me an insufferable ass in there..."
"Why?" She spat out. "Because your arrogance won't allow it? Or your pride?!"
Legolas let go of her and shoved her away. "You're so full of it." He began walking away.
"Yes, see!" Aunorey taunted. "Whenever anyone comes close to the truth you run away!"
Legolas whipped around, his eyes shining in the moonlight. "DON'T," he said quietly, venom in his words. "Offend me, or think you know me, Aunorey Arrowin, for that is the biggest mistake you could make."
Aunorey backed off, a dozen retorts on the tip of her tongue. But he was Prince... "Agh!" She shook her head, her beautiful tresses moving with the motion of her head. She spun around and walked down the hall.
Aunorey knew it wasn't the words spoken that night, but the emotions. Tension, hatred, dislike, malice... from every single bad thing they had done and said to each other had made the air so thick in that hallway you could have sliced it with a butterknife. "Are you okay?" She heard Legolas ask.
"Yes, yes..." She gave a nervous laugh. "What were you saying?"
"I said that I think the reason we fought so much was because we never really talked, never knew each other..." He put his chin on her shoulder and his cheek next to hers. "Were we hiding feelings for each other?"
Aunorey's heartbeat sped up, and her eyes were wild. What was he going to say... "Maybe." She answered.
Legolas leaned back, rolled his head to relieve the stiffness in his shoulders. "No more fighting, okay?"
"When we get back, Legolas... Things will change, won't they?"
Legolas was silent for a moment. "I don't know, Aunorey... I really don't know."
Aunorey wanted to cry, but sat and listened as Legolas began a song a few moments later, his voice drifting through the leaves, through her mind and her heart....