Chapter 40
She woke up minutes later surrounded by a crowd of people. Her head swam as she tried to merge the blurry people above her. Legolas was kneeling to her right, holding her hand tightly. There was a foul smell under her nose and everything clicked into place,
"I'm awake, I'm awake. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare any of you. It's just been a tiring day that's all."
"Tally are you sure you're not unwell?" Legolas looked concerned next to her,
"I just felt a little," she paused to find the right word, "overcome. I really am alright. Please, sit down and carry on celebrating." Legolas still looked concerned, "I'll talk to you later," she whispered in his ear and he nodded,
"Give her some room everyone. Tally, sit back here. Do you want a glass of water?" said Talin being practical
"Yes please." She smiled at him, "Legolas, don't fuss, I feel fine now. Just sit down."
The musicians began to play again and the Hall returned to normal. Tally knew she was being closely watched through the entire meal by many people in the room and she tried not to let what she had just felt affect her actions, but there was nothing she could do. She kept stealing glances at Legolas to try and see how he felt but she couldn't read his emotions. He kept catching her looking intently at him and eventually he said,
"Tally, are you sure you're not ill? Why do you keep looking at me?"
"Yes I'm fine, and why shouldn't I look at you?" She gave him a look that silenced him and they returned to eating and making polite conversation. After the dinner was cleared away and the Hall set out for dancing Legolas took his chance and pulled Tally outside for a moment,
"Are you going to tell me what really happened?"
"Do you remember what you were thinking at the time?"
"I was thinking about you and how much I loved you."
"And how much you wanted to convince me that you would not leave me again." Tally finished for him the part he would not say aloud,
"How did you know that?"
"Legolas I felt what you were thinking. Your love," she paused, "and your despair. The sadness inside you. It went right through me. It shocked me. I felt how you feel. The feelings were so strong. I felt like I was drowning in them. They weren't mine so I couldn't control them." Tally looked at the stone path they were on. Legolas reached out and touched her cheek with his fingers,
"Is that why you fainted?"
"I think so."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't know what to do."
"Why didn't you talk to me about it?"
"Tally, I know you. You'd only deny it, say everything is fine to try and spare my feelings. That's not how I work and you should know that. Your eyes tell me everything you feel, so you can't lie to me. You can't." Tally could see how emotional he was getting and brought him closer to her to comfort him.
"Legolas can I ask you something?"
"Anything," he said with his head nestled in her shoulder,
"Can I put my ring back on?" Legolas stood back up straight and looked dead into her eyes,
"I'd be honoured, but only if I can put mine back on too."
"I think I can live with that," she smiled at him. He reached behind her head and took the ring off its chain. Legolas slid it back onto her finger and then kissed it,
"Back where you belong," he murmured. He reached to take his ring from round him neck. It fitted easily onto his finger and sat here as if it had never left. Tally took his hand to lead him back into the Hall, her fingers ran over his ring. She lifted her face to look at his. It practically shone with joy. They immediately got swept up in the dancing. Tally was grabbed by Ghilad and Legolas by Kaelira and they began to swing round the room. Ghilad took both her hands and began to gallop down a long line of people. His eyes caught sight of the ring on her finger and looked Tally dead in the eyes, raising his eyebrow. She blushed, but said nothing and carried on dancing.
Once it was over, Ghilad led her too the side. Kaelira and Legolas joined them. Tally judged by the look on his face that she had noticed his ring as well,
"Well?" said Ghilad,
"Well what?" said Legolas, trying to be innocent,
"The rings," said Kaelira, "You've got them back on your fingers." Tally couldn't say anything, she looked at Legolas for help,
"Well it seemed a shame to left such wonderful craftsmanship go to waste!" said Legolas smiling at Tally,
"Oh, but this is wonderful!" Kaelira hugged them both, "We'll have to make an announcement"
"No Kaeli, don't. This is your night. We'll announce it some other time. Legolas and I still have a lot to talk about." Tally said diplomatically with a glance at Legolas. She'd hurt him a little with that comment. He wanted to go and shout from the tree tops how much he loved her and how happy he was that they were engaged again. Tally, he knew, was doing the sensible thing. They had much to talk over and if they didn't then they would just end up in the same position they'd been all those years ago.
The dancing went on for much of the night. Legolas and Tally left early as Tally wanted to get to bed. She was exhausted from the wedding preparations and all her worry over Legolas. She knew she would need her strength in the days to come. There was a lot she would have to fight with Legolas over. Legolas lay down on the bed beside her and pulled the covers over them. Tally was already asleep as he pulled her against his chest. Legolas stroked her hair until he fell asleep.
She woke up minutes later surrounded by a crowd of people. Her head swam as she tried to merge the blurry people above her. Legolas was kneeling to her right, holding her hand tightly. There was a foul smell under her nose and everything clicked into place,
"I'm awake, I'm awake. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare any of you. It's just been a tiring day that's all."
"Tally are you sure you're not unwell?" Legolas looked concerned next to her,
"I just felt a little," she paused to find the right word, "overcome. I really am alright. Please, sit down and carry on celebrating." Legolas still looked concerned, "I'll talk to you later," she whispered in his ear and he nodded,
"Give her some room everyone. Tally, sit back here. Do you want a glass of water?" said Talin being practical
"Yes please." She smiled at him, "Legolas, don't fuss, I feel fine now. Just sit down."
The musicians began to play again and the Hall returned to normal. Tally knew she was being closely watched through the entire meal by many people in the room and she tried not to let what she had just felt affect her actions, but there was nothing she could do. She kept stealing glances at Legolas to try and see how he felt but she couldn't read his emotions. He kept catching her looking intently at him and eventually he said,
"Tally, are you sure you're not ill? Why do you keep looking at me?"
"Yes I'm fine, and why shouldn't I look at you?" She gave him a look that silenced him and they returned to eating and making polite conversation. After the dinner was cleared away and the Hall set out for dancing Legolas took his chance and pulled Tally outside for a moment,
"Are you going to tell me what really happened?"
"Do you remember what you were thinking at the time?"
"I was thinking about you and how much I loved you."
"And how much you wanted to convince me that you would not leave me again." Tally finished for him the part he would not say aloud,
"How did you know that?"
"Legolas I felt what you were thinking. Your love," she paused, "and your despair. The sadness inside you. It went right through me. It shocked me. I felt how you feel. The feelings were so strong. I felt like I was drowning in them. They weren't mine so I couldn't control them." Tally looked at the stone path they were on. Legolas reached out and touched her cheek with his fingers,
"Is that why you fainted?"
"I think so."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't know what to do."
"Why didn't you talk to me about it?"
"Tally, I know you. You'd only deny it, say everything is fine to try and spare my feelings. That's not how I work and you should know that. Your eyes tell me everything you feel, so you can't lie to me. You can't." Tally could see how emotional he was getting and brought him closer to her to comfort him.
"Legolas can I ask you something?"
"Anything," he said with his head nestled in her shoulder,
"Can I put my ring back on?" Legolas stood back up straight and looked dead into her eyes,
"I'd be honoured, but only if I can put mine back on too."
"I think I can live with that," she smiled at him. He reached behind her head and took the ring off its chain. Legolas slid it back onto her finger and then kissed it,
"Back where you belong," he murmured. He reached to take his ring from round him neck. It fitted easily onto his finger and sat here as if it had never left. Tally took his hand to lead him back into the Hall, her fingers ran over his ring. She lifted her face to look at his. It practically shone with joy. They immediately got swept up in the dancing. Tally was grabbed by Ghilad and Legolas by Kaelira and they began to swing round the room. Ghilad took both her hands and began to gallop down a long line of people. His eyes caught sight of the ring on her finger and looked Tally dead in the eyes, raising his eyebrow. She blushed, but said nothing and carried on dancing.
Once it was over, Ghilad led her too the side. Kaelira and Legolas joined them. Tally judged by the look on his face that she had noticed his ring as well,
"Well?" said Ghilad,
"Well what?" said Legolas, trying to be innocent,
"The rings," said Kaelira, "You've got them back on your fingers." Tally couldn't say anything, she looked at Legolas for help,
"Well it seemed a shame to left such wonderful craftsmanship go to waste!" said Legolas smiling at Tally,
"Oh, but this is wonderful!" Kaelira hugged them both, "We'll have to make an announcement"
"No Kaeli, don't. This is your night. We'll announce it some other time. Legolas and I still have a lot to talk about." Tally said diplomatically with a glance at Legolas. She'd hurt him a little with that comment. He wanted to go and shout from the tree tops how much he loved her and how happy he was that they were engaged again. Tally, he knew, was doing the sensible thing. They had much to talk over and if they didn't then they would just end up in the same position they'd been all those years ago.
The dancing went on for much of the night. Legolas and Tally left early as Tally wanted to get to bed. She was exhausted from the wedding preparations and all her worry over Legolas. She knew she would need her strength in the days to come. There was a lot she would have to fight with Legolas over. Legolas lay down on the bed beside her and pulled the covers over them. Tally was already asleep as he pulled her against his chest. Legolas stroked her hair until he fell asleep.
