LEGOLAS FAN FICTION
TITLE: Where Love May Lead
AUTHOR: Emily Kinsman
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily Kinsman (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
SUMMARY: Prequel to Elenath. Legolas travels to Rivendell to meet his betrothed, but things do not work out as smoothly as his father and Lord Elrond had wished.
12.
Legolas bid Merethiel good night and retreated in silence to his chambers. The Lady was a vision; he could not deny that. And, she was gentle and kind, displaying perfect Court manners – surprising after their rather thorny first meeting. He had been a little worried at that point, but now he was even more so. She was perfect in every way as far as his father was concerned – Thranduil would adore her. Why, then, did Legolas not? His heart felt nothing special when he gazed upon his future wife and this greatly distressed him.
"Sacrifices," he stated to the empty room. "Father always said that I would have to make sacrifices for my kingdom." But was this one of them? Was it his lot in life to marry for the sake of political alliance, forsaking his dream of true love? Frustration welled in his heart, for that seemed far too great a price to pay.
What of Elenath? She seemed to be free from such weighty expectations. Legolas had barely been able to keep his eyes off of her as she laughed and danced with Dimnarion. It had been as if she had not a single worry in all the world.
And then she had danced with Legolas. He had shared one dance - one magnificent dance with the princess, and as soon as it had ended, his arms had ached at her absence and his lips had burned with words left unspoken. Unspoken because his voice had left him the moment he looked into her eyes.
At the end of the night, he had watched as she kissed Dimnarion. Legolas sighed, reminding himself that it had been a chaste kiss, such as a sister would give to her brother. Still, the sight of it had made his heart constrict painfully in his chest. Why could he not feel this way for fair Merethiel? Why must his heart rebel against his father's wishes?
Still, for all of his good intentions he could not tear his mind away from the memory of Princess Elenath dressed all in blue silk. She had shimmered in the moonlight; her wondrous sapphire eyes gazing into his as they danced. Could he possibly hope that she felt the same attraction for him as he felt for her?
"Enough!" he said to himself. "Enough of these thoughts. I should rest now." But he knew that he was far too agitated for that and decided that a walk might calm him.
***
Elenath paced back and forth in her chambers, thinking back over the evening – particularly about the one dance she had shared with Prince Legolas. He had treated her with such gentility that she had not known how to react. As ridiculous as it sounded for a princess to say, he had made her feel truly special for the first time in her life. They had spoken few words as they danced, but the conversation they did have was lovely and light, and it seemed each time she said something he listened as if her voice was beautiful music.
Legolas was unlike the Nobles of Rivendell who treated her as a comrade-in- arms, and when he had kissed her hand at the end of their dance, she could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. Shaking her head, she remembered the words she had said then. "You needn't treat me so, Prince Legolas."
The bewildered prince had gazed for a long moment into her eyes, as if considering the possibility of kissing her elsewhere. "You are like a willow in springtime – strong and supple, yet possessing such beauty that it brings tears to the eyes of Elves."
She had regarded him with wide eyes at that, and he had continued, explaining himself.
"You are a strong warrior, brave in battle and skilled with the Sword. But you are also a lady and a Princess, and in my presence you shall be treated as such, Vanimaer Beautiful One."
Vanimaer. She sighed. No one, save her grandfather, mother, and father had ever called her that.
"Elenath?"
The princess' thoughts crashed back into the present, and she turned in surprise to see her cousin standing there in silken robe, ready for bed. "Merethiel! You startled me."
The Lady laughed. "It was not intentional…. You are still dressed?"
Looking down at herself, the princess stuttered. "Well… y-yes, I suppose that I am…."
Merethiel's eyebrows arched. "Since when do you not come racing back from a Royal Feast to change into more comfortable attire? Are you well?"
"Well, I… you know… I'm not so sure, Merethiel. I… suppose I am rather tired… rather tired and confused." She nodded. "Yes. Tired and confused."
"You do not sound yourself, Elenath. Shall I call for Grandfather?"
"No! No… I fear he will only make things worse." She shook her head. "Did you have a nice evening with your prince, Cousin?"
The Lady shrugged. "He was kind and dances well enough. I keep telling myself that I should be able to fall in love with him, but my heart will not comply."
"Give it time."
She nodded. "I will, but only because you asked me to. And what about you? You seemed to get along well with Dimnarion."
Elenath could not help but blush a little. "Dimnarion. It is as you say with Legolas. Only it is my body that thinks it should love the Elf, not my mind. And my heart remains aloof. I know not what to do; only that when he held me in my arms I felt weak in the knees." She paused and wrinkled her nose. "I do not like the sensation."
Merethiel's mirthful laughter filled the room. "Poor Elenath! Legolas' body guard is … well, he is the perfect physical specimen of a male Elf. Of course you feel weak in the knees when you dance with him. I would too – he's so tall – and those broad shoulders. Mmmm – he's perfect!" She checked herself and blushed, quickly adding, "Not that the Prince of Mirkwood is any less handsome…. Dimnarion just has that…rough warrior look to him. Now let me help you get ready for bed. You've had a long day."
The princess shook her head. "No… I have too many thoughts clouding my mind to be able to rest properly. I think I will take a walk."
"Dressed like that?"
She shrugged. "Why not?"
"Suit yourself, Elenath. And please, do not worry yourself so much. Somehow this will all work out." Merethiel paused and smiled a little. "After all, even Grandfather has been known to say, 'We can only go where love may lead.'"
"Unless our overprotective Grandfather prohibits us from doing so," sighed Elenath a few minutes later as she stepped into the lush Wood of Rivendell and allowed the comfort of the familiar trees and waterfalls to surround her. "Or unless we are too frightened to tread where love may lead…"
TITLE: Where Love May Lead
AUTHOR: Emily Kinsman
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily Kinsman (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
SUMMARY: Prequel to Elenath. Legolas travels to Rivendell to meet his betrothed, but things do not work out as smoothly as his father and Lord Elrond had wished.
12.
Legolas bid Merethiel good night and retreated in silence to his chambers. The Lady was a vision; he could not deny that. And, she was gentle and kind, displaying perfect Court manners – surprising after their rather thorny first meeting. He had been a little worried at that point, but now he was even more so. She was perfect in every way as far as his father was concerned – Thranduil would adore her. Why, then, did Legolas not? His heart felt nothing special when he gazed upon his future wife and this greatly distressed him.
"Sacrifices," he stated to the empty room. "Father always said that I would have to make sacrifices for my kingdom." But was this one of them? Was it his lot in life to marry for the sake of political alliance, forsaking his dream of true love? Frustration welled in his heart, for that seemed far too great a price to pay.
What of Elenath? She seemed to be free from such weighty expectations. Legolas had barely been able to keep his eyes off of her as she laughed and danced with Dimnarion. It had been as if she had not a single worry in all the world.
And then she had danced with Legolas. He had shared one dance - one magnificent dance with the princess, and as soon as it had ended, his arms had ached at her absence and his lips had burned with words left unspoken. Unspoken because his voice had left him the moment he looked into her eyes.
At the end of the night, he had watched as she kissed Dimnarion. Legolas sighed, reminding himself that it had been a chaste kiss, such as a sister would give to her brother. Still, the sight of it had made his heart constrict painfully in his chest. Why could he not feel this way for fair Merethiel? Why must his heart rebel against his father's wishes?
Still, for all of his good intentions he could not tear his mind away from the memory of Princess Elenath dressed all in blue silk. She had shimmered in the moonlight; her wondrous sapphire eyes gazing into his as they danced. Could he possibly hope that she felt the same attraction for him as he felt for her?
"Enough!" he said to himself. "Enough of these thoughts. I should rest now." But he knew that he was far too agitated for that and decided that a walk might calm him.
***
Elenath paced back and forth in her chambers, thinking back over the evening – particularly about the one dance she had shared with Prince Legolas. He had treated her with such gentility that she had not known how to react. As ridiculous as it sounded for a princess to say, he had made her feel truly special for the first time in her life. They had spoken few words as they danced, but the conversation they did have was lovely and light, and it seemed each time she said something he listened as if her voice was beautiful music.
Legolas was unlike the Nobles of Rivendell who treated her as a comrade-in- arms, and when he had kissed her hand at the end of their dance, she could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. Shaking her head, she remembered the words she had said then. "You needn't treat me so, Prince Legolas."
The bewildered prince had gazed for a long moment into her eyes, as if considering the possibility of kissing her elsewhere. "You are like a willow in springtime – strong and supple, yet possessing such beauty that it brings tears to the eyes of Elves."
She had regarded him with wide eyes at that, and he had continued, explaining himself.
"You are a strong warrior, brave in battle and skilled with the Sword. But you are also a lady and a Princess, and in my presence you shall be treated as such, Vanimaer Beautiful One."
Vanimaer. She sighed. No one, save her grandfather, mother, and father had ever called her that.
"Elenath?"
The princess' thoughts crashed back into the present, and she turned in surprise to see her cousin standing there in silken robe, ready for bed. "Merethiel! You startled me."
The Lady laughed. "It was not intentional…. You are still dressed?"
Looking down at herself, the princess stuttered. "Well… y-yes, I suppose that I am…."
Merethiel's eyebrows arched. "Since when do you not come racing back from a Royal Feast to change into more comfortable attire? Are you well?"
"Well, I… you know… I'm not so sure, Merethiel. I… suppose I am rather tired… rather tired and confused." She nodded. "Yes. Tired and confused."
"You do not sound yourself, Elenath. Shall I call for Grandfather?"
"No! No… I fear he will only make things worse." She shook her head. "Did you have a nice evening with your prince, Cousin?"
The Lady shrugged. "He was kind and dances well enough. I keep telling myself that I should be able to fall in love with him, but my heart will not comply."
"Give it time."
She nodded. "I will, but only because you asked me to. And what about you? You seemed to get along well with Dimnarion."
Elenath could not help but blush a little. "Dimnarion. It is as you say with Legolas. Only it is my body that thinks it should love the Elf, not my mind. And my heart remains aloof. I know not what to do; only that when he held me in my arms I felt weak in the knees." She paused and wrinkled her nose. "I do not like the sensation."
Merethiel's mirthful laughter filled the room. "Poor Elenath! Legolas' body guard is … well, he is the perfect physical specimen of a male Elf. Of course you feel weak in the knees when you dance with him. I would too – he's so tall – and those broad shoulders. Mmmm – he's perfect!" She checked herself and blushed, quickly adding, "Not that the Prince of Mirkwood is any less handsome…. Dimnarion just has that…rough warrior look to him. Now let me help you get ready for bed. You've had a long day."
The princess shook her head. "No… I have too many thoughts clouding my mind to be able to rest properly. I think I will take a walk."
"Dressed like that?"
She shrugged. "Why not?"
"Suit yourself, Elenath. And please, do not worry yourself so much. Somehow this will all work out." Merethiel paused and smiled a little. "After all, even Grandfather has been known to say, 'We can only go where love may lead.'"
"Unless our overprotective Grandfather prohibits us from doing so," sighed Elenath a few minutes later as she stepped into the lush Wood of Rivendell and allowed the comfort of the familiar trees and waterfalls to surround her. "Or unless we are too frightened to tread where love may lead…"
