VANIMA
As You Wish
"No! Your grip is too low. Place you fingers like this." Grabbing the bow from Alakdaliel with a sigh of frustration, Legolas rolled his eyes. Through out the past few days upon her arrival at Mirkwood, she had been settling into her new home. She preoccupied the time in which she had absolutely noting to do with the lessons Legolas had promised her. Though they were not exactly what she had anticipated.
Legolas was nice enough, but he failed to realize that, although he had been fiddling with a bow since he was in a cradle, others, such as herself, had never touched one. Therefor, when her target remained untouched, he would groan and mutter to herself. She wasn't of course, incompetent, but did he truly expect her to master the art in three days? And the fact that his perfect aim and amazing speed with the bow and arrow were displayed to her everyday, didn't help her concentration in the least. The prince had been royally fondled for far too long, and although she herself was of noble blood, could teach him a lesson or two of common courtesy to those who were not inheriting the throne.
"My fingers feel correct, and seem to fit quite nicely where they are. Perhaps you have been doing it wrong your whole life?" Alakdaliel asked, her eyebrows raising innocently. All right, she had been grasping at straws, but what more could she say? It was the only insult that had found its way to her mouth in such a short amount of time. He grinned, and backed away slowly.
"As you wish." There it was again. The simple statement that had been repeated over and over again, everyday that Alakdaliel could remember. It had been well known throughout Archwood in previous years that the King and taunted her with the sentence every time she showed the least bit of greed or selfishness. Alakdaliel recalled not many years ago, when she had asked for her own garden within the palace walls. Knowing full well that she did not need, only she had desired one from an early age, she had requested it from her father, though Archwood had no money to spare on such things, and other cares to deal with. Her father had smiled, and relaxed in his throne, responding again with those three words. It had enraged the princess, and her guilt would always get the best of her, letting her wants go unanswered.
The fact that Legolas knew of it was surprising. Had he remembered from his time spent at Archwood? Or had countrymen of her own told him? There was no doubt in Alakdaliel's mind that he knew the significance of the statement. The smile on his face reached from pointed ear to pointed ear, frustrating her even more.
"If you were not the Prince you are, I would have a mind to speak to you about your manners, good sir." Alakdaliel said, though she could not keep the laughter from her voice.
"Milady, if I were not the charming, irresistible, astonishingly handsome prince I was, than you, Alakdaliel, would have shoot yourself in the skull with an arrow by know, based on your aim."
She did not know how to respond to that, for it was well true. Focusing her attention on the target in the distance, she stretched the head back, mounted her arrow, and took aim. Letting go, the arrow sliced through the afternoon air, hitting the center of the target perfectly. Though it was luck, Alakdaliel did not stop a grin from her face. Turning to face Legolas, eyes full of triumphant, she prepared herself for a full apology from the Prince. But she stopped dead on her heal, seeing that the two were not alone anymore.
A man had entered the shooting grounds, and now stood beside Legolas, a slight sarcastic smile across his face. He had dark eyes, and even darker hair, though his skin was pale as the moon, rippling with muscles. The effect was overall astounding, giving him wolf-like characteristics.
"Forgive me" The man apologized. " I did not mean to startle you. Princess, I am Daren, Royal Guard of the throne of Mirkwood." He licked his lips before continuing. " I see young Legolas has been teaching you the skill of Archery." His eyes sparkled with menace, but Alakdaliel couldn't shake the feeling of friendship he had awakened in her. She curtseyed with the proper respect.
"She has not quite mastered it yet." Legolas said, amusement weaved in his voice, noting the numerous scrapes along her forearm from where she had released the arrow incorrectly.
"No doubt" Daren said seriously, his voice sallow and deep. "Fighting is a man's job". He glared at Alakdaliel, his gaze starting at her eyes, and slowly working its way down to her feet. She shifted under so hot a glare. The man had no respect! Though she was too shocked and mortified to say anything. Legolas face reddened with anger, and it took him no time to voice it.
"Daren! You will do well in the future to show more courtesy to Her Highness. I've always thought highly of you, and I am ashamed you have acted so inappropriately. I will accept you have caught a fever, and nothing more. Perhaps you need to rest. Do not make me repeat myself." Legolas' eyes never left Daren's, and for a moment, it looked like a fight would break out, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. A fake smile was then plastered on Daren's face, eyes still focused unmoving on Legolas.
"Please accept my most sincere apologies, Milady. I do not know what came over me." Without a second glance, Daren turned on his heel and stormed off the grounds, toward the palace. Legolas, still fuming, watched him depart, than placed his attention back on Alakdaliel.
"Alakdaliel, I apologize. He is not like that, I have known him since he was a child. He is like a brother to me. I am sure there is a logical excuse. Do not think all of Mirkwood is like---
Alakdaliel silenced him by clearing her throat.
"I know. Let's get back to work."
* * * *
Daren climbed the steps to the palace, anger resonating off his form, obvious to all that passed him. The Princess of Archwood dared to take up residence in Mirkwood, and than proceeds to learn how to fight! She had absolutely no decency. With the Prince instructing her, he had no time for other duties involving the Royal Guard, causeing Daren's plans to foil before his very eyes. There was no way he could kill His Highness without dragging him away from Alakdaliel, too obvious a factor. He would have to kill the princess first, but that could only be done by taking her away from the Prince's keen eyesight and excellent hearing. He would have to do it with a distraction. Something his co-partner would be more than happy to provide…
REIVEWWWWWWWW! I hate to beg…but desperate times call for desperate measures!
As You Wish
"No! Your grip is too low. Place you fingers like this." Grabbing the bow from Alakdaliel with a sigh of frustration, Legolas rolled his eyes. Through out the past few days upon her arrival at Mirkwood, she had been settling into her new home. She preoccupied the time in which she had absolutely noting to do with the lessons Legolas had promised her. Though they were not exactly what she had anticipated.
Legolas was nice enough, but he failed to realize that, although he had been fiddling with a bow since he was in a cradle, others, such as herself, had never touched one. Therefor, when her target remained untouched, he would groan and mutter to herself. She wasn't of course, incompetent, but did he truly expect her to master the art in three days? And the fact that his perfect aim and amazing speed with the bow and arrow were displayed to her everyday, didn't help her concentration in the least. The prince had been royally fondled for far too long, and although she herself was of noble blood, could teach him a lesson or two of common courtesy to those who were not inheriting the throne.
"My fingers feel correct, and seem to fit quite nicely where they are. Perhaps you have been doing it wrong your whole life?" Alakdaliel asked, her eyebrows raising innocently. All right, she had been grasping at straws, but what more could she say? It was the only insult that had found its way to her mouth in such a short amount of time. He grinned, and backed away slowly.
"As you wish." There it was again. The simple statement that had been repeated over and over again, everyday that Alakdaliel could remember. It had been well known throughout Archwood in previous years that the King and taunted her with the sentence every time she showed the least bit of greed or selfishness. Alakdaliel recalled not many years ago, when she had asked for her own garden within the palace walls. Knowing full well that she did not need, only she had desired one from an early age, she had requested it from her father, though Archwood had no money to spare on such things, and other cares to deal with. Her father had smiled, and relaxed in his throne, responding again with those three words. It had enraged the princess, and her guilt would always get the best of her, letting her wants go unanswered.
The fact that Legolas knew of it was surprising. Had he remembered from his time spent at Archwood? Or had countrymen of her own told him? There was no doubt in Alakdaliel's mind that he knew the significance of the statement. The smile on his face reached from pointed ear to pointed ear, frustrating her even more.
"If you were not the Prince you are, I would have a mind to speak to you about your manners, good sir." Alakdaliel said, though she could not keep the laughter from her voice.
"Milady, if I were not the charming, irresistible, astonishingly handsome prince I was, than you, Alakdaliel, would have shoot yourself in the skull with an arrow by know, based on your aim."
She did not know how to respond to that, for it was well true. Focusing her attention on the target in the distance, she stretched the head back, mounted her arrow, and took aim. Letting go, the arrow sliced through the afternoon air, hitting the center of the target perfectly. Though it was luck, Alakdaliel did not stop a grin from her face. Turning to face Legolas, eyes full of triumphant, she prepared herself for a full apology from the Prince. But she stopped dead on her heal, seeing that the two were not alone anymore.
A man had entered the shooting grounds, and now stood beside Legolas, a slight sarcastic smile across his face. He had dark eyes, and even darker hair, though his skin was pale as the moon, rippling with muscles. The effect was overall astounding, giving him wolf-like characteristics.
"Forgive me" The man apologized. " I did not mean to startle you. Princess, I am Daren, Royal Guard of the throne of Mirkwood." He licked his lips before continuing. " I see young Legolas has been teaching you the skill of Archery." His eyes sparkled with menace, but Alakdaliel couldn't shake the feeling of friendship he had awakened in her. She curtseyed with the proper respect.
"She has not quite mastered it yet." Legolas said, amusement weaved in his voice, noting the numerous scrapes along her forearm from where she had released the arrow incorrectly.
"No doubt" Daren said seriously, his voice sallow and deep. "Fighting is a man's job". He glared at Alakdaliel, his gaze starting at her eyes, and slowly working its way down to her feet. She shifted under so hot a glare. The man had no respect! Though she was too shocked and mortified to say anything. Legolas face reddened with anger, and it took him no time to voice it.
"Daren! You will do well in the future to show more courtesy to Her Highness. I've always thought highly of you, and I am ashamed you have acted so inappropriately. I will accept you have caught a fever, and nothing more. Perhaps you need to rest. Do not make me repeat myself." Legolas' eyes never left Daren's, and for a moment, it looked like a fight would break out, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. A fake smile was then plastered on Daren's face, eyes still focused unmoving on Legolas.
"Please accept my most sincere apologies, Milady. I do not know what came over me." Without a second glance, Daren turned on his heel and stormed off the grounds, toward the palace. Legolas, still fuming, watched him depart, than placed his attention back on Alakdaliel.
"Alakdaliel, I apologize. He is not like that, I have known him since he was a child. He is like a brother to me. I am sure there is a logical excuse. Do not think all of Mirkwood is like---
Alakdaliel silenced him by clearing her throat.
"I know. Let's get back to work."
* * * *
Daren climbed the steps to the palace, anger resonating off his form, obvious to all that passed him. The Princess of Archwood dared to take up residence in Mirkwood, and than proceeds to learn how to fight! She had absolutely no decency. With the Prince instructing her, he had no time for other duties involving the Royal Guard, causeing Daren's plans to foil before his very eyes. There was no way he could kill His Highness without dragging him away from Alakdaliel, too obvious a factor. He would have to kill the princess first, but that could only be done by taking her away from the Prince's keen eyesight and excellent hearing. He would have to do it with a distraction. Something his co-partner would be more than happy to provide…
REIVEWWWWWWWW! I hate to beg…but desperate times call for desperate measures!