After over a month finally a new chapter... school was horror, but now we've got holidays! So, enjoy the new chapter and please R&R!

Chapter 8: Never leave your love

An evil grin played around the mouth of the soldier. Steadily he made his way through the torch - lit corridors to the big hall. His eyes shone with mad happiness.

//Oh, little prince! You deserve a more cruel punishment than that! He likes that girl?... Let me see what I can do to make him happy...//

When he reached the big oak door to the hall he showed the guards to open it for him. Slowly the heavy door swung open and the soldier stepped into the hall.

King Thranduil was sitting on his throne in the back, reading some documents. He looked very concerned as he lay the report of one of his royal messengers aside and threw a questioning look at the soldier. The man knelt down and apologised.

"I didn't mean to disturb your privacy. And I'm aware of the fact that there are more important cases for your majesty these days. But I bring you some, I think, very important news about your son, Legolas."

"Legolas?" questioned the king, who was suddenly very interested. Since their conversation the day before he hadn't seen his son yet and now he was waiting if his expectations had turned right.

//Sure he wants to tell me that...//

"He likes this girl..." the soldier completed the sentence, unaware of the kings thoughts.

This sentence made the king jump up from his throne. He couldn't believe what this soldier just had told him.

"What have you said?"

The soldier slowly rose to his feet and looked Thranduil directly into his eyes.

"Maybe I'm wrong, my king, but I saw them having a picnic in the gardens this afternoon. And I'm very sorry, but it looked as if he really liked her."

The soldier pretended to be very concerned about all that, but all he wanted was just Legolas to be punished. It was the greatest pleasure to tell the king his suspicions, which he knew very well to be true. So he added in an obsequious tone, "And may I dare to say, that your punishment isn't a punishment at all..."

That was too much for the king. He sat back onto his throne and stared angrily at the soldier in front of him.

"So he likes her? Then my punishment wasn't as hard as I supposed it to be. You say a picnic? That has to mean she is well again. What did she look like? Ill?"

"Oh, everything but ill, my lord. Moreover I met your son this morning and asked about her, and he told me, that she was well again."

"He told you that? Then he already expects her leaving. For I told him clearly yesterday, that she has to leave when she's well again..." the king said partly aloud, partly to himself.

"Pardon, my king?" the soldier asked, because he had only heard an unclear murmuring. Somehow he had expected a different reaction. That the king would immediately throw this unpleasant Human out of his kingdom. But he seemed rather calm, but for his small outburst in the beginning.

"No... I just decided to send this girl away..." Thranduil answered finally.

"Shall I bring her here, in front of you?" the soldier suggested eagerly.

"No." came the prompt answer. "Tomorrow. I want to talk to my son in the first place. And though she is partly an enemy, I won't let her go alone at night through Mirkwood. Out there is more evil than you can imagine. Greater evil than I would wish any Human in the world. So, good night. I wish you a nice sleep."

The soldier was very disappointed by the king's decisions.

"My king..." he started to complain, but Thranduil showed him with a small gesture with his hand to leave him alone.

So he had to leave. He bowed stiffly and headed angrily towards the big oak door. Everything he had expected, but that! When he had exited the hall he marched to his room somewhere far away from the royal chambers.

// You will pay for that! You will pay for everything, little prince!// he cursed when he shut the door.

The next morning Caro was woken up by the first sunbeams that tickled her face. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around the room. She felt relieved to wake up where she had gone to sleep - in Legolas' arms. Steadily she felt his breath on her skin and his gentle arms around her waist. She looked into his wonderful green eyes, that looked dreaming into the distance.

//Heaven...// she thought happily and started caressing his cheek. His delicate skin felt like velvet under her fingers and she wanted to kiss him like last night on the balcony.

Slowly also Legolas woke up and gave her one of his cutest smiles. He took her face into one hand and placed a small kiss on her mouth.

"Good morning, Caro." he whispered softly.

"Morning..." Caro answered and snuggled deep into his embrace.

"Did you sleep well? Hm?" Legolas asked and started playing with a strand of Caro's hair.

She smiled at him brightly as a reply. "I have never slept better in my life."

Gently Legolas pulled out of their embrace and stepped out of the bed. Once again Caro admired his bare chest, but then Legolas pulled on his shirt and sat down on his side of the bed.

"I'll go and order something to eat for us. Do you have any special wishes?"

Caro shook her head, but thought //Yes, my prince, you...//

When Legolas had left, Caro got up and changed her clothes. She put on the ones Legolas had given her the day before and took the comb out of the small cupboard to make her messy hair in front of the mirror. She started to plait two small braids behind her ears the way Legolas wore his hair. Proudly she watched herself in the mirror after she had finished.

// If the pointed ears wouldn't be missing everybody would mistake me for an Elf...// she thought and went onto the balcony.

It was a wonderful day and the forest looked as wonderful as the day before in the sunlight. Caro sat down on the low balustrades and looked into the distance.

// I want to stay here. Even if I won't ever return to my world. Here, beside my prince life would be a dream...//

Suddenly she was hugged from behind and Legolas whispered into her ear, "Watch out, Caro. I don't want you to fall down from the balcony. It's much safer here, in my arm." He placed a small kiss on her earlobe and together they went back into the room.

"Soon you'll get your breakfast. The servants said something about 15 minutes." Legolas stated as they sat down by the table. "Another thing, what do you want to undertake today?"

Caro thought for a while before she posed her question, "Would it be ok for you to teach me how to handle a bow and arrows? I always liked to learn it, and now I've found the best teacher ever. So, would it be alright?" To support her wish she threw one of her cutest smiles towards Legolas. With that smile he couldn't say 'no'.

"Sure I'll teach you..." he answered and reached over the table to gently take Caro's hand into his own. Softly he started to stroke her hand with his thumb. Two pairs of green eyes met and drowned into each other. Magic lay in the air as their mouths embraced in a passionate kiss.

Caro felt once again as if in seventh heaven, but suddenly their luck was disturbed by a knock at the door.

"Breakfast." Legolas whispered as they parted. He went to the door and opened it slowly. But outside not the breakfast but a royal messenger was waiting. The messenger handed over a paper with the sign of King Thranduil on it and added, "Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, your father, the king, wants to speak with you in the big hall. Please come with me. You can read this paper while we are going."

Legolas threw a questioning look over his shoulder to Caro, who was showing him, that he should go.

"We can start later..." she said and grinned, a little bit disappointed, though.

Legolas read the message from his father while he was following the other Elf.

//Again about Caro...// he thought as he refolded it and put it into one of his pockets.

Like the day before Legolas was escorted in front of his father's throne. But this time he didn't have to kneel down in front of him. He only bowed once and looked questioning at the king.

"I heard you like this little human girl. Yesterday you had a nice picnic in the gardens and it should have been very amusing. Wasn't it?" Thranduil started angrily, but then he added in a bored tone, sounding more like a father than a king, "Legolas, why are you so difficult? Why can't you just behave like you are supposed to? Do you think I want to tell you again and again what you are allowed to do and what you aren't? You should be old enough to know all that. You've actually never been like that in your life, only since this mortal appeared in the forest. I don't know what would be the best punishment for you, and I don't want to think about it now. The only thing I want is that she leaves Mirkwood. You can accompany her if you want, I don't care. There are more important things I have to think about these days. But SHE has to leave NOW!"

Legolas didn't know what to say. So he just accepted his father's orders and left after a small bow the hall.

When he returned into their room Caro was already eating at the table. Legolas sat down beside her and started to eat.

"Didn't take long, hmm? What has he said?"

"You have to leave..."Legolas said in a sad tone, "... now...".

"Now?" Caro asked shocked.

"Hmm... yes. But I'm allowed to accompany you. The journey out of Mirkwood will take a few days. So we will still be together..."

"But that means I won't ever return here. You will guard me out of the wood and then you'll leave me? Maybe... forever?"

Caro stood up from her chair and went over to the bed. Weeping she lay herself onto it. Legolas immediately followed her and took her into his arms. He didn't want to hurt her, but it was his father's wish. But it was true, maybe they won't ever meet again. Carefully he stroke her hair and whispered words of comfort to ease Caro a little. Caro hugged Legolas as tight as she could, as if she feared he could vanish every second.

//I don't want to leave him. I love him. But does he know that? Maybe if he knows he won't let me alone. But am I just too naive to believe he and I, we would live happily together until the end of our days? That would mean for him to give up his immortality, but that would be too much. And would he do this? I don't think so...//

"Ok..." she sobbed, trying to control her voice. "If it's your father's wish. We can't do anything but obey him, right? So... there is no other way."

"I'll be with you the whole journey through Mirkwood. It's very dangerous is you go alone, and I don't want you to be hurt. You will be safe in my arms..." Legolas said and kissed Caro on her forehead.

Then they got up from the bed and Legolas took two green bags out of the cupboard in the back.

"You'll need something to wear that is more agreeable for walking than this dress. I don't think my clothes will fit you, so I'll go and look for some. And I'll also bring something to eat, ok?"

"Ok..." Caro watched Legolas exiting the room. Then she went back to the bed and snuggled up in it. She had wanted everything to turn out different. But she knew, that her dreams could never come true. Or not for long.

Half an hour later Caro and Legolas stood fully dressed for their journey in the court in front of the palace. Caro wore dark green leggings, a brown shirt and a black coat. On her back she carried her bag, that was filled with lots to eat and the other clothes Legolas had given her - the dress and the white coat.

Legolas also had besides the big one a small bag at his side, but he didn't tell what was in it. He said, that Caro would find it out soon enough.

"Here, take this. You'll need it..." he said as he gave her a dagger. It was the same one she had slipped on when she had 'arrived' in Middle Earth.

"Thank you..." Caro said and put the dagger in the side of her belt.

Legolas had realized, that Caro looked pale since he had told her his father's orders. So he planned to make the journey as pleasant as he could. The last thing he wanted was to leave her.

Gently he took Caro by her hand and led her through the gate out into the wilderness of the forest.Two pairs of eyes followed their way until they disappeared behind the trees.

From a window watched King Thranduil the scene. He wondered again why Legolas liked this girl so much. Then he shook his head and went back into his chamber.

But another pair of angry gleaming brown eyes couldn't stop staring at the two wandering figures that were making their way, holding hands. Slowly the soldier crept out of his hiding behind some trees in front of the palace and followed the path of Caro and Legolas.

"You will pay for everything, little prince..." he whispered and let out a mad giggle.

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Ok... slowly we reach the ending. I'm planning two more chapters, so stay reading!