Raeillia's funeral was held the following morning, on the day she'd been set to marry the Prince of Mirkwood. Much to Legolas's relief, there'd been no encore appearance from Aranelphia. Legolas smiled bitterly as he recalled the great anguish the murder of the future princess had caused for the people of the kingdom. While he himself had not felt anything even near love for Raeillia, he was almost certain that he had made a grave mistake in allowing Aranelphia to escape with her life.
He returned to his senses slowly, discovering he'd wandered all the way to the heart of the forest while lost in thought. With a deep sigh, he sank down on the bank of the stream where he often swam in warmer weather. Why exactly Aranelphia had returned, he was not certain but he promised himself that he'd take no part in the madness she almost certainly brought along with her.
"Oh sweet Prince," Whispered a voice as he shoulders were encircled by a pair of slender arms. "Do you hate me? Do you despise me? Do you wish me dead for the treasonous acts that I have, against you, committed?"
He sat silently at first, content to study the odd ink markings that adorned her wrists and hands. "Why, after six hundred peaceful years have you returned?"
She did not let him go and he did not mind for the air around her was sweet and soft and glowed with an otherworldly light. "I'm afraid I lied to you when I said you'd called me. You see, I've fallen into a bit of trouble and I fear you are the only one who can help me." She released him and settled down beside him. "Legolas, you are my only friend. Without you, I've no one."
"What sort of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?" Again he sighed, for this girl seemed to bring him nothing but weariness.
"Well," She began, "Many of us graced with the gift immortality possess certain . . . items that symbolize their gift. Well, some for some of us, that item becomes so treasured that the very essence of immortality becomes linked to whatever it is that makes up this item. I have lost that which has for so long served as my symbol. Without it, time will soon sink his claws into me and I will die."
Legolas could not believe what he was hearing. "You lost it?"
"Well, not really lost it. I guess it would be more accurate to say that it was stolen from me. A Lorialet, one of the creatures of the moon, has taken it from me. Being nothing but a mortal anymore, I do not see how I can possibly retrieve it on my own." She laughed nervously. "Of all the ways I ever thought I might die, never was it as terrible as dying the death of a mortal."
Again, it took him several minutes before he had a decent response for her. "In the two days since your return, you have ruined my wedding and killed the woman I was to marry and now you ask me to leave all that I have and follow you on some wild journey in order to help save you from a predicament that surely finds only you to blame. There is a warning in my heart and my good senses tell me to send you as far away from here as I can, for you bring with you only trouble." He smiled then, as if she had done something to embarrass him. "Despite all this, I cannot abandon you to die. Perhaps I myself have some odd death wish, but I feel that should I turn my back on you, though you may deserve it, I would be making a terrible mistake for which I could never forgive myself. So Aranelphia, princess of death as you are, I will leave my kingdom and all that I know to follow you into what is sure to be the lowest places of Middle Earth in order to save your immortality."
"My lord," She whispered, those dark ancient eyes glowing with life. "I know not what to say other than that you have my undying gratitude." She laughed at this. "Well, as undying as it can be at the very least."
"When should I expect to depart?" He asked, forcing himself to look away from those spellbinding blue eyes.
"Soon! Tonight! Tomorrow! I'm afraid I've not long to spare for the journey is long and without that amulet, my time is short." She seemed almost breathless from excitement.
Legolas rose. "Then we will leave tonight. I will wait for you at my window."
Aranelphia beamed a most radiant smile. "And I, sweet Prince, shall not let you down."