DISCLAIMER: I only own the characters you don't recognize, the rest belong to Tolkien.
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Aliya
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I arrived at the feast late, because I spent so much time debating whether I should go. Finally I just slipped a frock on and ran to the feast. I arrived just in time as the band started playing, and Miama asked Legolas to dance. She took his hand and led him to the dance floor when the song suddenly slowed down.
I ducked back out of the room, afraid I was going to be sick. Why was I acting this way? I could deal with this. I didn't know how but I snuck into the feast without any attention, and sat on the opposite side of Thranduil.
" You are a little late for the main course, my dear, but I took the liberty of ordering dessert for you." King Thranduil spoke into my ear winking at me. " I believe another song is about to start, would you like to dance?"
I took the invitation and started dancing with Thranduil, when I suddenly realized what song it was.
It was a Molindë, a light tune, in which partners were frequently switched between the original partner and the one on your left. I quickly looked to my left as I realized what was about to happen. I saw Legolas just as I was twirled into his arms, held and dipped. I could feel my face turn pink as Legolas smirked at me.
" Lovely dance isn't it?" Legolas said faking innocent.
" Of course." I played along with him. Suddenly back dancing with Thranduil, I saw Miama shoot me a death glare behind Legolas's back. I smiled shaking my head at Miama's childishness.
" I thought you might enjoy this dance," Thranduil said, " Especially being able to talk to my son without that woman breathing over your shoulder." He winked as I went back to Legolas.
" I know how much you love being here," Legolas whispered in my ear as I was held in his arms a little too long, then spun out again.
" If your wife keeps giving me those looks, her face may stick that way..." I said grinning.
" No more talk about my wife, she is quite content with her position in society-" I was back to Thranduil and laughing, finally enjoying myself, when all of the sudden, the dance ended. Another started, a regular joyful song, and we continued dancing- until I was tapped on the shoulder.
" May I have this dance?" I turned around hoping when I saw who had to be Kaede, almost an exact replica of Kendre, except masculine. I danced with him for a song or two, until he walked off and asked his mother to dance.
I sat back down at the table to eat the dessert that had been left there, when I heard some one clear their throat. I turned to see Legolas standing above me, holding out his hand as if asking for mine. I decided to play dumb and caulked my head to one side questioningly. He sighed, rolling his eyes as if catching on.
" Would you like to dance? It seems my usual partner has her own entertainment." I finally took his hand as he led me onto the dance floor. Since it was a slow song, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me a bit closer than was necessary. I didn't mind though, it was quite comforting. I rested my head on his shoulder, closed my eyes and just breathed in his scent. I heard him say that he loved me forever and I smiled.
When the song turned into a feisty tune, instead of leaving me for his abandoned Miama, he acted like he didn't see her. After dancing with me for a few moments, the crowd slowly cleared into a circle around us as everyone watched. I forgot about everything except Legolas's eyes until he turned away from me.
I looked to see that he was once again dancing with Miama, but instead of leaving them together, I sought for Legolas's attention again. Tapping him on the shoulder he turned back to me, much to Miama surprise.
Obviously seeing the problem at hand, Thranduil clapped his hand signaling the musicians to stop. Immediately the music ceased and the King spoke.
" In celebrating the anniversary of my son and daughter in law, I suggest another form of entertainment. Aliya? Would you grace us with a song?" I trembled more than I ever had before in my life as I walked up onto the stage. I searched my mind for something to sing, but what came out of my mouth was no song I ever remember.
" I know now my grief was long
I know how my love was strong
And if I could have one thing-
My love, melamin I would sing;
Come back, to me now
Come back some how,
I thought I'd lost you so long ago
But now I've found you, I miss you so
Were I in your arms
Knowing, there was no harm
I would be strong with you
I really miss you too
Come back, to me now
Come back somehow
I thought I'd lost you so long ago
But now I've found you, I miss you so
Won't you come back, to me now?"
I ended with tears coming to my eyes, whispering the words at the end. I barely heard the applause as I walked back to my seat. When I looked up again, Miama had taken the stage, about to sing a song of her own I supposed.
" Well, after that, ahem, declaration, I have my own song I would like to sing. It won't be as desperate, because I have the man I want. So it may be more enjoyable to listen to." I rolled my eyes at her attempt to insult me. I could care less, the laughter that came was forced, she was just being humored because she was the soon-to-be queen.
Smiling the evilest smile I had ever seen, she opened her mouth. Out came something that hardly resembled a tune:
" All these long years
There have been some tears
But all that there is now
Is joy I fell for you.
Forty seven years
We have been together
Through the rocky road
And some hard weather.
Life has been so grand
I hope to spend more years with you
I hope you know
I know you do too."
Winking at Legolas, she curtsied to the audience.
Legolas stood up, "Aliya…" he said quickly, "Another song, if you please?"
"Why listen to the chirping of a robin," I said, pointing to myself and then extending my hand to Miama, "When you can hear the song of a nightingale?"
Legolas looked as though he was going to be sick as he sat down and Miama sang again. She only sang two more songs thankfully, before her time was over.
Then taking Legolas's hand and putting it below her waist they started to walk out together. Right before they were out of view I saw his hand squeeze her behind as they headed towards who knows where.
That upset me quite a lot. After the lament to Legolas I had sung, he had left perfectly content with Miama. I thought he had loved me, but I guessed not.
I took in a lot of wine after that and pretty soon I was not within my senses.
Staggering down the hall I found myself in front of Legolas's room. As I said, I was not in my right mind- so I walked right into the room without a knock.
" Legolas, I really need-" That's as far as I got before I saw Miama look up at me from under the sheets. I could tell she wasn't wearing any clothes, and neither was he. I just stood there for a moment as Miama shrieked and Legolas jumped up to explain.
" Explain what?? We're married!" Miama cried as Legolas came towards me. Quickly coming to my senses I rushed out of the room with tears in my eyes.
For some reason, my drunken escape hadn't lasted long enough as I realized what I had seen. Running out of the Fire wing, I headed for the main door when I was grabbed by a guard.
" Sorry Lady, there are orders of the prince saying that you isn't allowed to leave." Slinging me over his shoulder, he attempted to carry me somewhere. Quite ungracefully I managed to rip his pants so they had no way of staying up, and then ran.
I heard his shouts after me as I ran down the hall. Finally seeing my escape in front of me, just steps away, someone stepped in front of me, knocking me backwards as I hit a wall hard.
" Ali? Can you hear me?......." I could barely hear the words... they were all blending together, and suddenly there was no more.
~~~
Legolas
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After seeing Aliya flee from my room, I alerted every guard about her. Taking every secret passage way that existed, hoping she didn't do the same, I bolted to the main entrance.
When I emerged to see the door, I felt something hit me hard, knocking me to the ground. When I crawled over to the figure laying against the wall I realized who it was.
" Ali?? Can you hear me? Come back, oh! I am so sorry, I was drunk, I didn't mean to- Guards, fetch my father!!!" Picking Aliya's limp body up, I could tell she had had too much wine also. I took her to the nearest bedroom which happened to be my mothers.
Laying her down on the bed I felt the bump developing on the back of her head where she had hit the wall. Sighing to myself, and shaking my head, I found a blanket to drape over her shivering body. Suddenly she opened her eyes and looked at me.
" Valaë?" she stammered blinking rapidly. I kissed her forehead and smiled at her. I could tell although she had been knocked out she was still quite under the influence of the wine.
" Ah," she said sitting up too quickly then holding her head. I pushed her back down and covered her up against her will. " I know that smell, it's you, you..." her loss of words amused me because of the normally articulate woman she was. " You lied to me. I sang for you, and I loved you again. And then you go and sleep with that..... that...."
" My wife?" I said laughing, knowing that she wouldn't even remember the conversation in the morning. She sat up once again and looked me in the eye. I had only seen Aliya drunk once, nowhere near this bad but lightly drunk when Her, Kendre and I had all gone out skinny dipping in the river.
" You.. are a very good liar. Even your eyes look......" Her face got ever closer until I met her lips, cutting off her drunken berating. Suddenly I heard the door open and I quickly pulled away as she passed out in my lap.
Uh oh, I thought as I saw the princess Kendre and my father standing in the doorway. My father had a strange grin on his face while Kendre just looked surprised. She blinked several times before changing to a normal expression. My father walked in and lay Aliya back down as I had had her before.
" You had better go talk to your wife, she seems to be quite distressed about someone running out on her, on her anniversary I think." My father winked at me as I rushed out of the room back to Miama.
~~~
Legolas
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Back with Miama I just cradled her in my arms. She had been extremely distressed when I had run out with Aliya. Suspecting something evil she had thrown objects about the room, and broken many items I had held dear. Once I came back she started screaming and beating at me while she cried. I took firm hold of her and finally had her controlled when a guard came.
" Your highness, the King requests you in his presence."
" I will be there in an hour." I said giving myself time to calm Miama down. Finally promising she was done, I held my wife in my arms rocking back and forth. I saw a tear falling down her cheek and asked her what she was thinking.
" You don't love me anymore." She said closing her eyes.
" Of course I do," I forced the words out of my mouth, as I had had to do when we were first married and I believed that Aliya might have lived. " Aliya would really be a great friend if you just got to know her better. Maybe you could spend a day together to know each other. Then you can make decisions about her." I whispered into her ear then kissed her hair.
" Maybe I will, maybe I will." Was her only reply. I had to leave her to see my father so I waited until she was asleep then snuck away. Finding my father in the feast room, dancing with Kendre, I approached with suspicion.
" And step, two three, step, two, three. Yes, yes you have it now. Good Kendre! Maybe you will be able to enjoy the next feast a bit more hmm?" Turning to me, my father smiled innocently turning back to Kendre. " Will you excuse us my darling?"
Kendre left at once leaving only my father and I moving towards the table.
My father sighed and sat down while I followed. " Aliya cannot go on like this, Legolas, and frankly, neither can I. You must choose between one which you had in the past, and the one you hold now. Choose wisely for I do not believe that the rejected will ever be taken back in the occurrence of a mistake. I will leave you now, think slow, choose wise."
With that my father up and left me to myself. Getting up myself, I slowly walked to a bedroom. Realizing that Miama was sprawled over my own bed, I quickly decided on the library.
Opening the doors I realized all the torches had gone out. Sighing to myself I lit a few, without even looking about the room. I was so accustomed to the room I didn't even have to keep my eyes open to do things. Feeling extremely tired from the days 'events' I closed my eyes as I lit the torches. Turning I opened them to see a figure sitting in my chair. Bathed in darkness, the visitor laughed at me.
" You finally come...." Oh dear Manwë, It was Aliya. More drunk than before, she stood before me in a silk nightgown. Silk is sheer. She started to come over to me, but started to fall so as I had to catch her.
On a table beside her was an almost empty wine bottle, and a glass. setting her down on a couch, I could smell the sweet wine on her breath.
" I knew you would come here," She said slurring a little. " So I decided, 'Aliya, you want him back? You have got to GIVE a little. Go after... him." She smiled a drunken smile as she reached for the glass.
I brought it to her lips and she drank long gulps. Dear Valar I had never seen her that drunk and I loved it. She was so helpless, just laying there. She dropped the empty glass on the floor and kissed me. I kissed back and for a long time we stayed like that. Just kissing harmlessly.
The next thing I knew she had my shirt off and I could no longer resist.
~~~
Aliya
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I woke up without light, seeing burnt out torches and a dim likeness of a room. I had a horrible headache and couldn't seem to remember getting where I was. Come to think of it, I didn't know where I was.
Suddenly looking at what was on top of me, I saw Legolas, shirtless as far as I could see, and when I felt for it, I found my dress was gone too.
Dear Valar, I thought. What have I done??? I quickly got out from under him and found a nightgown of mine on the floor. Escaping through a secret tapestry, I found my way to my own room quite early in the morning.
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Miama
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I woke up quite late for me, in Legolas's room. Alone. It mad me mad that he had left me there, and I wondered where he was. Despite my hard efforts to untangle my husband from that woman, he paid more attention to her instead of me. I dressed and hurried to the only place I could have thought he would be.
~~~
Aliya
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A few hours later my door was slammed open by Miama, demanding that I bring Legolas out to talk to her. Innocently saying I had no idea where he was, she insisted on dragging me to find him. Pulling a robe on before she dragged me out the door, I was cornered against a wall.
" You may have what you had when I wasn't here, but you will NOT have my husband now." Miama growled at me making her once beautiful face a vicious snarl. I raised my eyebrows as she demanded I tell her where HER husband was. I suggested the library, being that he was always there. Then following her to the room, I let her open the doors herself.
There, in all his 'glory' lay the naked prince sprawled out on the couch . I managed to let a small snicker out as I saw a bit of drool drip onto the floor.
" Am I allowed to go now?" I asked, folding my arms, proving I had been totally innocent, Which in reality I believed I had not been.
"Go, and don't come back." she said as if hoping I would disappear. The problem was, I didn't think the guards would let me. Since I was unable to fall back to sleep, I took some herbs to ease my pounding headache. Then going to the dining hall, I found some food.
When I was near finished, young Kendre appeared, stopping right in front of me as if not wanting to eat, but to talk.
" I was wondering if you would go for a walk with me...." She said hopefully. I knew that she did not hate me, at least not right out so I agreed. Since I was with the princess, the guards let me out. I was relieved that no embarrassing fight would have to happen again with the 'cage holders' as I liked to call them now.
Once we were out into the forest it was easier to see that Kendre wanted nothing more than friendship.
" My mother DOES love my father. She.... she just gets overwhelmed sometimes. And she tries too hard. My father was always grieving about you, so my mother never really got the love she deserved, do you understand?" she asked eagerly.
I shook my head in agreement trying to see how such a beautiful woman could be unattended. Especially by Legolas. But she continued anyways.
" My mother was never the easy one to talk to. (sigh) Everything was about her, and when it wasn't... it was about the gifts. There was a new diamond in her new ring, she got a new this, a beautiful that. I just couldn't really relate to her. And then my father was always alone, in some room I had never heard of. So the only way I managed to keep track of him was to follow. And I did. Kaede was always Mother's favorite, and I soon became Father's. I could just sit there with him for hours without saying a word, knowing what he was feeling. It was a comfort to be with him, but I still couldn't talk real well. Grandfather eventually started teaching me things, like language, history. Things I could know easily. But I never felt I could open my soul to anyone. I feel like I know you from somewhere though. Like, you were there all the time but you weren't. You just appeared like you were ready to be there for me. And I need someone, someone who can listen, but will give advice. Somehow... I know you can do that. I know things, I just feel it like it's been known forever, but, I can't ever tell anyone."
" I'm here when you need me." I whispered.
We talked for hours, about everything from suitors, to dancing. She hadn't learned to dance yet but planned on dancing with her father as a surprise on her birthday. It was a few weeks away but she was getting nervous. I assured her everything would be fine.
We were called inside finally by the growing darkness. When dinner came, Thranduil was not there, he had said he had to have a conference with the eagle lord, whose territory was becoming increasingly smaller. It went quite well, without the princess Miama, who was 'occupied'.
Kaede was worried about her, but no one else seemed concerned. I retired early, avoiding Legolas and his uncomfortable stares.
I had the feeling I had a long day ahead of me. And I was correct.
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