A/N: Oh I'm so prolific today! I might be able to write another one and
post it late tonight; it'll depend on my homework situation. If not, it'll
be up sometime Friday. Thanks again for all those reviews! If any of you
have any suggestions as to what I should put for a new summary, let me
know. Thanks!
Legolas had seen her the moment she walked into the room. It took every ounce of willpower he could muster to turn his eyes back to Syrid and pretend to listen. As the old ambassador rambled on and on about nothing in particular, Legolas tried to indiscreetly watch her. She was wearing a soft blue dress that complimented her auburn tresses. He smiled to himself, remembering the last time he had seen her in a dress of this nature. She could barely stand up in it then; now, as he watched her gracefully cross the room and exit to the balconies, he again realized just how much they had grown.
Finally, Legolas could politely leave the conversation, and he hurried to where he had seen Elora go. He had planned to sneak up behind her when he heard Fralir's voice.
"I didn't know what you looked like, so he told me to find the prettiest person here and that would be you. You are his friend, right?"
Legolas stopped. He couldn't believe his little brother has said that! Before he could do anything, Elora turned to see him. Legolas felt his cheeks burn with a slight blush, but tried to regain his composure. "Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" he asked.
Fralir shook his head. "Dad said I could stay up late tonight. I found your friend," he added proudly.
"Yes you did. And you were very good company too," said Elora.
She and Legolas still had not spoken directly to each other, and the silence rested heavy around them. Fralir seemed to sense it to, since he suddenly turned and scampered back into the ball, leaving the two friends by themselves.
"I feel like such an idiot in this dress," Elora said after a moment. It wasn't entirely true, but it was the only thing she could think of to break the silence.
"Well, you are an idiot," Legolas teased. Elora gave him a playful shove. "But at least you're an idiot who's very….nice looking." There was a short pause. "Beautiful," Legolas blurted out. "I meant to say beautiful."
Elora looked down at the ground, her hair falling to partially hide her face. "Thank you," she murmured. She straightened and looked at him. "You don't look to bad yourself."
"I know," said Legolas, puffing out his chest like a proud peacock. Elora laughed.
"So who were you talking to?"
Legolas rolled his eyes. "Syrid, one of my fathers ambassadors. One of his oldest ambassadors. I didn't think I'd ever get away."
"I'm glad you finally did."
He took her hand in his. "Me too." A gentle waltz started up in the ballroom. Legolas gave her hand a slight tug. "Will you dance?"
Elora balked. "I haven't danced in ages; I don't think I ever even learned this one."
"It's easy; just follow my lead and you'll be fine." He set her hands in the appropriate places, imitating her voice from long ago. "Now, this hand goes here. And this one goes…here." He set her left hand on his shoulder as Elora smiled.
"I wasn't that bad, was I?"
"Oh, you were worse." As he spoke he slipped his hand around her to place it gently on the small of her back and pulled her close.
Elora felt the warmth of his hand radiate through her dress. His touch produced mini-shocks throughout her body. She shivered involuntarily and didn't understand why. This was Legolas, her old friend, not someone special; he shouldn't be having such an effect on her! But even as she thought this she knew it to be false. Legolas had always been special, but Elora couldn't deny that in the past two weeks he had started to mean something much more to her. Without even realizing what she was doing, Elora found herself laying her head on his shoulder.
Legolas was experiencing the same set of confusing emotions as Elora. The second she had stepped into his arms he felt his heartbeat began to quicken. He was both surprised and pleased when she placed her head against his shoulder. He found himself pulling her even closer to him, tightening their embrace, twisting their right arms so that her hand was now against his chest, all the while marveling at just how perfectly they fit into each other's arms.
After a few minutes the music stopped. They stayed together for a few extra beats before simultaneously breaking away. They stood side by side for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts about what had just occurred.
"What a beautiful night," Elora breathed. She gestured to the sky. "All the stars are shining tonight."
Legolas nodded. "We could see them better if it weren't for the lights of the palace." Suddenly he grasped her hand. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"To a place where we can see them better," he answered, leading her along the balcony, down the side staircase and out of the palace.
Legolas had seen her the moment she walked into the room. It took every ounce of willpower he could muster to turn his eyes back to Syrid and pretend to listen. As the old ambassador rambled on and on about nothing in particular, Legolas tried to indiscreetly watch her. She was wearing a soft blue dress that complimented her auburn tresses. He smiled to himself, remembering the last time he had seen her in a dress of this nature. She could barely stand up in it then; now, as he watched her gracefully cross the room and exit to the balconies, he again realized just how much they had grown.
Finally, Legolas could politely leave the conversation, and he hurried to where he had seen Elora go. He had planned to sneak up behind her when he heard Fralir's voice.
"I didn't know what you looked like, so he told me to find the prettiest person here and that would be you. You are his friend, right?"
Legolas stopped. He couldn't believe his little brother has said that! Before he could do anything, Elora turned to see him. Legolas felt his cheeks burn with a slight blush, but tried to regain his composure. "Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" he asked.
Fralir shook his head. "Dad said I could stay up late tonight. I found your friend," he added proudly.
"Yes you did. And you were very good company too," said Elora.
She and Legolas still had not spoken directly to each other, and the silence rested heavy around them. Fralir seemed to sense it to, since he suddenly turned and scampered back into the ball, leaving the two friends by themselves.
"I feel like such an idiot in this dress," Elora said after a moment. It wasn't entirely true, but it was the only thing she could think of to break the silence.
"Well, you are an idiot," Legolas teased. Elora gave him a playful shove. "But at least you're an idiot who's very….nice looking." There was a short pause. "Beautiful," Legolas blurted out. "I meant to say beautiful."
Elora looked down at the ground, her hair falling to partially hide her face. "Thank you," she murmured. She straightened and looked at him. "You don't look to bad yourself."
"I know," said Legolas, puffing out his chest like a proud peacock. Elora laughed.
"So who were you talking to?"
Legolas rolled his eyes. "Syrid, one of my fathers ambassadors. One of his oldest ambassadors. I didn't think I'd ever get away."
"I'm glad you finally did."
He took her hand in his. "Me too." A gentle waltz started up in the ballroom. Legolas gave her hand a slight tug. "Will you dance?"
Elora balked. "I haven't danced in ages; I don't think I ever even learned this one."
"It's easy; just follow my lead and you'll be fine." He set her hands in the appropriate places, imitating her voice from long ago. "Now, this hand goes here. And this one goes…here." He set her left hand on his shoulder as Elora smiled.
"I wasn't that bad, was I?"
"Oh, you were worse." As he spoke he slipped his hand around her to place it gently on the small of her back and pulled her close.
Elora felt the warmth of his hand radiate through her dress. His touch produced mini-shocks throughout her body. She shivered involuntarily and didn't understand why. This was Legolas, her old friend, not someone special; he shouldn't be having such an effect on her! But even as she thought this she knew it to be false. Legolas had always been special, but Elora couldn't deny that in the past two weeks he had started to mean something much more to her. Without even realizing what she was doing, Elora found herself laying her head on his shoulder.
Legolas was experiencing the same set of confusing emotions as Elora. The second she had stepped into his arms he felt his heartbeat began to quicken. He was both surprised and pleased when she placed her head against his shoulder. He found himself pulling her even closer to him, tightening their embrace, twisting their right arms so that her hand was now against his chest, all the while marveling at just how perfectly they fit into each other's arms.
After a few minutes the music stopped. They stayed together for a few extra beats before simultaneously breaking away. They stood side by side for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts about what had just occurred.
"What a beautiful night," Elora breathed. She gestured to the sky. "All the stars are shining tonight."
Legolas nodded. "We could see them better if it weren't for the lights of the palace." Suddenly he grasped her hand. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"To a place where we can see them better," he answered, leading her along the balcony, down the side staircase and out of the palace.