Aniarel hurried along the woodland trail, trying to keep the smile from her face. She found Haldir and Legolas speaking in a hushed tone, waiting for news of Coeil. Haldir turned and bowed to her, his features taut with worry.

'How is she, my lady?'

Aniarel avoided Legolas' eyes.

'She is awake, Haldir, and she wishes to speak with you,' she said, watching the play of emotions across his face.

Haldir thanked her, and strode off in the direction of the infirmary. Legolas looked suspiciously at her.

'What are you up to?'

Aniarel smiled and pulled him along with her, following Haldir.

'Come and see.'

When they reached the infirmary, Haldir was kneeling at Coeil's bedside, holding her hand. She was sitting against a bolster, bandaged up, and pale from loss of blood.

'Please, my lord, I had to speak to you,' she was saying when they entered, her voice weak. 'There is something I must tell you before I go.'

Haldir shook his head.

'What are you talking about, my lady?'

Coeil closed her eyes for a moment, resting her head back against the pillows, before continuing.

'Perhaps you are aware, my lord, of the way a friendship can become something more? I greatly fear that my feelings for your lordship are not within the dictates of maidenly propriety, yet I had to make sure you knew before I die.'

Haldir was gazing at her in astonishment. Ymoien, one of the healers who had been speaking with Galadriel near Coeil's bed, came over, to check the bandages.

'Nonsense, girl, you're not going to die,' she chided. 'Although you will be cranky if you don't get your rest.'

Unseen by any of them, Galadriel winked at Aniarel, who covered Legolas' lips with her hand as he tried to demand an explanation.

Coeil smiled indulgently at Ymoien, and shook her head.

'Stop trying to comfort me. I know what an arrow in the stomach means as well as you do.'

Ymoien sighed and beckoned to Galadriel, who came over, composing her features into due concern for her young friend.

'What are you saying, my lady?' Haldir was asking, his grey eyes puzzled.

Coeil seemed to lose patience with him.

'I'm saying I love you!' she snapped, then seemed to regret her hasty words. 'I apologise, my lord. I fear I am nearing the end.'

Galadriel coughed politely.

'I'm afraid Ymoien is quite right, child,' she said, ignoring Coeil's gasp. 'You won't die. Your wound is healing nicely.'

Coeil looked at Haldir in mute horror, burying her face in her hands. Haldir gently pulled them down again, looking her full in the face. She tried to rectify her words.

'Forgive me, my lord, I am delirious, hallucinating . . .'

Her voice trailed off as Haldir kissed her hands gently.

'Coeil,' he was saying softly, 'my Coeil.'

He cupped his hand gently about her cheek, and leant forward, kissing her tenderly.

'We'll talk about this later,' he told her, smiling at her stunned expression. 'Rest now.'

He left then, nodding happily to Legolas and Aniarel who stood by the door. Legolas was trying not to laugh, as Aniarel drew him away.

'You mean, you didn't tell her she was healing, so that she'd pluck up the courage to tell him how she felt?'

'Pretty much, yes,' Aniarel grinned, thankful that her friend was on the mend, and would now have a chance at the happiness she so much deserved.

Legolas wrapped his arms about her, burying his face in her thick curls. She always smelled of fresh cut grass, and spring flowers.

'I shall miss you tomorrow, my Aniarel,' he whispered. She sighed into his chest, she would miss him, too.

The next day was to be the wedding. An elven wedding takes place at midnight, so that the new life together can begin with the new day, and one of the traditions is that the bride and groom do not to see one another until the ceremony itself on the day of the marriage.

Together they wandered down the woodland trails, to the clearing where their friends were entertaining themselves. Today, it seemed that telling stories was the thing. Aniarel caught Legolas' hand as he made his way towards them, stopping him in his tracks. He turned back to her, puzzled.

'Please,' she started, her voice a little unsteady. 'There's something I want to tell you, and I don't know how.'

He looked down at her, wondering why she had reverted to the awkward child again. She tensed when he made to put his arms around her, making him pull back.

'What's wrong?' he asked softly, tilting her chin up towards him.

Aniarel took a deep breath.

'About tomorrow,' she began, and then seemed to change her mind. She tried again. 'Coeil said that you were over five centuries old.'

Legolas smiled down at her.

'Yes, I am,' he answered. 'What are you getting at?'

She smiled uncertainly at him, and turned away.

'I suppose you've had a few lovers in your time, then?'

Legolas frowned, confused.

'A few, yes. But that doesn't mean I don't love you.'

'No, I know that,' she hastened to soothe his temper. 'But, well, I am only nineteen, and I don't have . . . I've never actually . . . I haven't . . .' she stopped abruptly, biting her lip. 'Oh, dear,' she muttered.

Legolas turned her around, bending to look into her clear green eyes.

'You haven't?'

She shook her head, looking terribly guilty for some reason.

'You're the only man who's ever kissed me,' she whispered.

Legolas smiled, and kissed her deeply again, forcing her to relax into the embrace before releasing her. She gazed up at him apprehensively.

'That doesn't matter, melamin,' he told her, grateful to see her relax properly. 'I would never hurt you, you know that, don't you?'

She nodded, smiling in relief.

'And remember,' he added, grinning wickedly, 'I've already seen what you wear in bed.'

Aniarel laughed, throwing her arms around his neck as he swung her about. Lowering her to the ground, he kissed her thoroughly, feeling her respond to him in a way she'd never done before.

When he finally released her, and stood gazing into her eyes, she whispered softly,

'Amin mela lle [I love you].'

His blue eyes widened with joy.

'You do?' he asked, barely able to believe his ears.

She nodded, laughing quietly at his astonished expression. Legolas grinned and pulled her close, shouting across the clearing,

'Father! She loves me!'

A cheer went up from all those gathered in the clearing, as well as Thranduil and his friends, who beckoned them both to come over and join them. Legolas drew her into his circle of friends, watching proudly as they finally accepted her. Thranduil whispered something in Aniarel's ear which made her look at his son speculatively as she blushed crimson. Legolas briefly wondered what his father was up to, before enfolding Aniarel in his arms, revelling in the feel of her body against his.

In the shadows behind the lovers, a harsh voice chuckled to itself. This would be more painful to them than he had ever thought possible. He glanced about, checking the lay of the land, before returning to his camp beyond the borders. No one noticed the dark figure as it slipped away.



*~*~*



Midnight was approaching fast. Aniarel paced about her chamber, to the exasperation of her ladies. She had been bathed, prepared, washed, brushed, dressed, and groomed, and was now anxiously awaiting the hour when she would be joined with her Legolas. Clothed in a gown of deepest green velvet, a silver circlet about her head, she was truly beautiful. Her silver slippers flashed out from under the hem of her gown as she paced about, rubbing her hands together.

Gherai touched the frightened elf gently on the shoulder, and she turned to greet Elrond, who had come to collect her.

'Uuma dela [don't worry],' he smiled at her, 'vanimle sila tiri [your beauty shines bright].'

Aniarel blushed at the compliment, and took his hand as he led her to the clearing where, only days before, she had stated her promise to wed this very night. She gathered around her the shreds of her composure, trying very hard to forget certain conversations held with the married women she had befriended over the past week or so. As they entered the circle of those gathered, Legolas winked at her, almost sending her into fits of giggles. Briefly she wondered who the dark-skinned elf standing at his shoulder was, but dismissed the thought as irrelevant. Legolas took her hands, kissing her palms as a sign of his love. Shaking a little, she did the same for him, returning his gentle smile.

The circle opened once again, and Celeborn and Galadriel stepped into the light. But instead of beginning the ceremony, Galadriel stopped suddenly, her face whitening with shock.

'You!' she hissed at the dark elf, who stood behind the lovers. The guests looked puzzled at her outburst.

Legolas looked at Aniarel, but she was staring fearfully at an empty space behind him. The dark elf smiled, and bowed to the two women, the only ones who could see him clothed as he was in darkness.

'Yes, sister, it is me,' he said pleasantly. 'And I have come to repay a lesson you once taught me about the nature of grief.'

He raised a small glass phial, uncorking it. A foul stench rose from the vessel, as it's acrid smoke blocked Galadriel's path to them. Galadriel stepped forward into it, a hand outstretched, choking on the substance, but too late. Within a moment, Legolas found himself punched hard by invisible hands, which pulled Aniarel from his grasp. As those gathered watched in horror, she disappeared, and Galadriel collapsed, crying out in pain.