Back at the party, Legolas abandoned his new fiancee to speak with his father. He left his 'guard' with his 'prisoner,' not a smart idea, but the best he could come up with at the time.
"Trystia." the girl looked up.
"Do you want to marry Legolas?"
Trystia avoided Matio's eyes. "No. If I were to be married, Mirkwood would be burned to the ground, and war would arise between the elves and wraiths, and I don't believe either Elrond or Sauron could stop it without more death."
Matio sat close beside her, and as she spoke, he saw tiny streams escaping her eyes. He did the only thing he could think of to stop it. He picked her up, and set her against him so her head was on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and she continued to silently weep.
"I can do nothing, for Sauron will not take me back without my father, and my father will not be allowed to come for me until the ring is restored. But now that Legolas has seen me, I fear Sauron has used the palantir to alter the future he has already seen for himself. This scares me."
Trystia's words terrified Matio. "Where would you be safe?"
A laugh without humor escaped her. "Elrond has said that Rivendell cannot withstand Mordor, and I doubt that Mirkwood can either. Matio, I am so frightened. You and Legolas are the closest thing to friends I've ever had. And I don't want either of you killed, the way all others before you were. Speaking with you, I cannot will my heart to be stone cold against you."
Matio stroked her hair, and realized that it was the same raven black as his. "I am drawn to you, also. Would you make a pact with me? That we will not let either be killed unless there was nothing we could do?"
Trembling, Trystia nodded. "Even if I do marry Legolas, you are first in my heart, Matio."
Legolas, looking over, and seeing them, winced. "Is she not my bride to be? And yet I am told if I stay engaged, she will have my family killed. Maybe it is best if she loves Matio...perhaps the wraiths would not care so much."
By the end of the next moon, Matio and Trystia were deeply in love, and Legolas had released her from the engagement, that his father had never agreed to. Though in his heart, Legolas was sorrowed that this bird raven from evil's nest was lost to him.
Every day, her skin darkened. The sun had rarely touched her, so now when it burned off the crust that had built up, she was a very tanned young woman, who scaled trees and rocks as easily as any young elf, if not as skilfully.
She called down to him from far above. "Come join us, prince thinker. Or are you too good for us now?" Her sparkling violet eyes were too much for him. He smiled back. "Well, if my servants have decided to forsake their commands to lounge in the trees, their master shall do the same."
"Trystia." the girl looked up.
"Do you want to marry Legolas?"
Trystia avoided Matio's eyes. "No. If I were to be married, Mirkwood would be burned to the ground, and war would arise between the elves and wraiths, and I don't believe either Elrond or Sauron could stop it without more death."
Matio sat close beside her, and as she spoke, he saw tiny streams escaping her eyes. He did the only thing he could think of to stop it. He picked her up, and set her against him so her head was on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and she continued to silently weep.
"I can do nothing, for Sauron will not take me back without my father, and my father will not be allowed to come for me until the ring is restored. But now that Legolas has seen me, I fear Sauron has used the palantir to alter the future he has already seen for himself. This scares me."
Trystia's words terrified Matio. "Where would you be safe?"
A laugh without humor escaped her. "Elrond has said that Rivendell cannot withstand Mordor, and I doubt that Mirkwood can either. Matio, I am so frightened. You and Legolas are the closest thing to friends I've ever had. And I don't want either of you killed, the way all others before you were. Speaking with you, I cannot will my heart to be stone cold against you."
Matio stroked her hair, and realized that it was the same raven black as his. "I am drawn to you, also. Would you make a pact with me? That we will not let either be killed unless there was nothing we could do?"
Trembling, Trystia nodded. "Even if I do marry Legolas, you are first in my heart, Matio."
Legolas, looking over, and seeing them, winced. "Is she not my bride to be? And yet I am told if I stay engaged, she will have my family killed. Maybe it is best if she loves Matio...perhaps the wraiths would not care so much."
By the end of the next moon, Matio and Trystia were deeply in love, and Legolas had released her from the engagement, that his father had never agreed to. Though in his heart, Legolas was sorrowed that this bird raven from evil's nest was lost to him.
Every day, her skin darkened. The sun had rarely touched her, so now when it burned off the crust that had built up, she was a very tanned young woman, who scaled trees and rocks as easily as any young elf, if not as skilfully.
She called down to him from far above. "Come join us, prince thinker. Or are you too good for us now?" Her sparkling violet eyes were too much for him. He smiled back. "Well, if my servants have decided to forsake their commands to lounge in the trees, their master shall do the same."