A/N: I know I promised this would be long, but I decided to break it up so
I could go ahead and post SOMETHING.
Elora ran. For how long or how far she never knew. She ran until her breath burned in her lungs and her legs had lost feeling. She ran until she could not make herself move another step. Elora collapsed to the ground and let the sobs that she had been holding in come out and wreck her body.
"I love you."
His words still echoed in her ears. In her heart. She knew he had said them with only the best of intentions, that he had no idea how she would have reacted to them.
It wasn't right; it wasn't fair. Elora blamed herself. She should have seen where their relationship was heading, should have stopped it early on. But she hadn't been able to; she hadn't been strong enough to deny her heart what it wanted. She had given into her emotions, given in to the basic need to kiss him, feel him, to just be near him. And now he loved her and she knew she, too, had fallen….
"No!" she screamed into the night air. She couldn't admit it, not even to herself, though she knew it to be true. Those three simple words could never fall from her lips, or even be uttered in her own mind. Love may be grand, but the pain of losing it would be too much for her to bear.
Pain. It was her ever-constant companion. A shadow that followed her everywhere. No, not everywhere. There had been moments when, lying in Legolas' arms, she had forgotten about the pain. Her whole world would simply be the feeling of his fingers stroking her arm or the beating of his heart. It was at these times that she was filled with serene contentment.
Legolas. The one person in all of Middle Earth who could make her forget about what she had done, and she had hurt him. He didn't deserve it; all he was guilty of was loving her. To see him hurt was one thing, but to know that she was the one responsible for it…that was something Elora could not live with.
With a heavy sigh she stood. After a quick assessment of her surroundings, she started off in the direction of the palace.
It was time for Legolas to learn the truth.
Elora ran. For how long or how far she never knew. She ran until her breath burned in her lungs and her legs had lost feeling. She ran until she could not make herself move another step. Elora collapsed to the ground and let the sobs that she had been holding in come out and wreck her body.
"I love you."
His words still echoed in her ears. In her heart. She knew he had said them with only the best of intentions, that he had no idea how she would have reacted to them.
It wasn't right; it wasn't fair. Elora blamed herself. She should have seen where their relationship was heading, should have stopped it early on. But she hadn't been able to; she hadn't been strong enough to deny her heart what it wanted. She had given into her emotions, given in to the basic need to kiss him, feel him, to just be near him. And now he loved her and she knew she, too, had fallen….
"No!" she screamed into the night air. She couldn't admit it, not even to herself, though she knew it to be true. Those three simple words could never fall from her lips, or even be uttered in her own mind. Love may be grand, but the pain of losing it would be too much for her to bear.
Pain. It was her ever-constant companion. A shadow that followed her everywhere. No, not everywhere. There had been moments when, lying in Legolas' arms, she had forgotten about the pain. Her whole world would simply be the feeling of his fingers stroking her arm or the beating of his heart. It was at these times that she was filled with serene contentment.
Legolas. The one person in all of Middle Earth who could make her forget about what she had done, and she had hurt him. He didn't deserve it; all he was guilty of was loving her. To see him hurt was one thing, but to know that she was the one responsible for it…that was something Elora could not live with.
With a heavy sigh she stood. After a quick assessment of her surroundings, she started off in the direction of the palace.
It was time for Legolas to learn the truth.