A.N: Ooh, last chapter. Scary!
LOTR Fan - Gawd, I really hope you like how this ends. I really really (cannot tell you how much I...) appreciate your reviews. I understand what you're saying about Edie not being allowed to die, I like her as a person and tried very hard not to make her Mary-Sueish -she' not perfect - I tried to think what I'd do in the kind of situations she was in - basically make a fool out of myself, and so I made her make a fool out of herself...just for the record, she's not based on me. Okay, ramblingy thingy over with. Please read...and enjoy ;0)
***********
Edie lies where she fell, the gash in her side spilling a great deal of blood and staining her shirt.
Legolas rushes to her side and kneels beside her, taking her hand and pressing it over the wound with his own.
Edie looks up at him with tears in her eyes, "Legolas, am I dying?" she asks quietly, worry and pain spreading across her face.
Legolas glances around, and then stares down at her not knowing what to say. But Edie reads it in his face.
"I'm dying..." she says glancing to the side, and then back at him, not quite ready to believe it.
Legolas nods slowly, sadly.
"Legolas..." she begins, but Legolas silences her with his words.
"Nay, Child. Rest now...It is your time."
Edie licks her dry lips, "Legolas, you will never understand mortals because you are immortal...please answer me." She says, her voice cracking and tears spilling down her face.
The Elf looks mournfully down at Edie and places a slender hand upon her paling cheek. "What do you want to know?" he asks.
"Wh...why did you help me?" Edie says, her breath heavy and rasping upon her throat.
Legolas offers her a hint of a smile, "Because I love you, Princess."
Edie shakes her head, "Why?"
"Because...because we are related, you and I. You are my great great grand-daughter." he says, the smile still playing sadly across his lips.
"What?" Edie says, her breathing growing shallow as time passes and her voice barely a croaked whisper.
"I am your great great grand-father."
"That is not possible...all of my ancestors were kings..." A frown furrows Edie's brow.
"Shh." The Elf puts a finger to Edie's lips, letting a tear slide down his cheek.
"I don't want to die, Legolas...but...I suppose I really have no choice...not like you..." she tries to smile as she says this.
Legolas bows his head respectfully and puts a hand on Edie's cheek.
"Do not cry for me." Edie says as her eyes begin to close. Her already pale skin is as white as a sheet, and her lips are cracked and dry.
Legolas watches as the last sighing breath escapes Edie's lips, and after a few minutes he picks up her limp form and holds her to his breast, staring at the ground not quite believing that she is dead, feeling her body still warm against his.
He remains like this until he hears the sounds of men grow quite close. He knows who it was, and he knows he dislikes them very much.
Still holding Edie, Legolas stands up and supports her dead weight in his arms as if she is a child. He strides through the trees with ease and stops only when the men come into view.
The repulsive Lord Antinous turned and sneered at him. "What have you got there?" he said, showing as little respect to the Prince of Mirkwood as he did for Melanthius or Eurymachus.
Legolas said nothing, but instead walked forward and halted directly in front of Lord Antinous's horse.
"You did this." Legolas said. "You drove her away and now she is dead. She was slain by the assassin you sent, barely an hour ago."
"I sent no assassin." Lord Antinous said, turning to his men for support.
"I know you did." Legolas said quietly, "Why else would the man who murdered this innocent child say he was commissioned by one Lord Antinous?"
"Someone is trying to frame me..." he said simply.
"My Lord." Melanthius spoke up, his voice shaking slightly. Betraying his master could have him killed. He nodded respectfully to Legolas and continued, "It is true. I saw him do it."
"Shut up, Boy! You know not of what you speak!" Lord Antinous growled at him, and Melanthius shrunk back.
"Lord Antinous hired that man to kill the Princess, Sir." Eurymachus said, and then all the soldiers around broke out talking in agreement, confirming Antinous's guilt.
"Then it is true." Legolas said, and looked up at Lord Antinous with great disdain. "The King shall know, and you shall pay the price for your treachery."
Lord Antinous uttered a small, scornful laugh. "The King is dead, a messenger came only this morning baring the sad news. The only heir to his kingdom lies cold in your arms. I expect to be named King when I return with the equally sad tidings of the young Princesses death. If you will hand the girl over to me it would make things run so much more smoothly."
Legolas shook his head. "You would kill an innocent for your greed." He placed Edie's body gently on the ground and took an arrow from his quiver, and before Lord Antinous could react he had shot him through the throat.
A crimson jet of life-blood gushed from his nostrils and Antinous uttered a small gurgling sound before falling stiffly off his horse and to the hard ground with a small twitch of his leg and a loud thump that echoed through trees in the silence of the forest.
There was no noise as the men gawped at Legolas as he picked Edie up from the ground and handed her to Eurymachus.
"Give her a proper burial in this forest. I do not wish to be present, for I fear the grief will be too much for me." Legolas said quietly and turned to leave.
"Thankyou, Sir." Eurymachus said as he watched Legolas's retreating figure and then set Edie on the ground. "We shall bury the Princess here." he said to the men and they all agreed.
Princess Edie was buried in the clearing where they stood as the sun set in the sky. Legolas watched from the trees, not wishing to disturb the ritual. The men made a mound, poured libations, and placed a beautiful flower atop it, a symbol of one who had died too young.
Lord Antinous was left where he fell, and soon became carrion, but even the beasts in the forest did not touch his rotting flesh.
Eurymachus became King and was a wise and fair ruler, who was loved by his subjects.
Legolas traveled Middle Earth, sometimes returning to Edie's grave to sit and remember her. He knew many who had lived and died, and did not dwell too much on the past.
The Elven Prince had known none only one other human to whom he had given his love.
THE END
LOTR Fan - Gawd, I really hope you like how this ends. I really really (cannot tell you how much I...) appreciate your reviews. I understand what you're saying about Edie not being allowed to die, I like her as a person and tried very hard not to make her Mary-Sueish -she' not perfect - I tried to think what I'd do in the kind of situations she was in - basically make a fool out of myself, and so I made her make a fool out of herself...just for the record, she's not based on me. Okay, ramblingy thingy over with. Please read...and enjoy ;0)
***********
Edie lies where she fell, the gash in her side spilling a great deal of blood and staining her shirt.
Legolas rushes to her side and kneels beside her, taking her hand and pressing it over the wound with his own.
Edie looks up at him with tears in her eyes, "Legolas, am I dying?" she asks quietly, worry and pain spreading across her face.
Legolas glances around, and then stares down at her not knowing what to say. But Edie reads it in his face.
"I'm dying..." she says glancing to the side, and then back at him, not quite ready to believe it.
Legolas nods slowly, sadly.
"Legolas..." she begins, but Legolas silences her with his words.
"Nay, Child. Rest now...It is your time."
Edie licks her dry lips, "Legolas, you will never understand mortals because you are immortal...please answer me." She says, her voice cracking and tears spilling down her face.
The Elf looks mournfully down at Edie and places a slender hand upon her paling cheek. "What do you want to know?" he asks.
"Wh...why did you help me?" Edie says, her breath heavy and rasping upon her throat.
Legolas offers her a hint of a smile, "Because I love you, Princess."
Edie shakes her head, "Why?"
"Because...because we are related, you and I. You are my great great grand-daughter." he says, the smile still playing sadly across his lips.
"What?" Edie says, her breathing growing shallow as time passes and her voice barely a croaked whisper.
"I am your great great grand-father."
"That is not possible...all of my ancestors were kings..." A frown furrows Edie's brow.
"Shh." The Elf puts a finger to Edie's lips, letting a tear slide down his cheek.
"I don't want to die, Legolas...but...I suppose I really have no choice...not like you..." she tries to smile as she says this.
Legolas bows his head respectfully and puts a hand on Edie's cheek.
"Do not cry for me." Edie says as her eyes begin to close. Her already pale skin is as white as a sheet, and her lips are cracked and dry.
Legolas watches as the last sighing breath escapes Edie's lips, and after a few minutes he picks up her limp form and holds her to his breast, staring at the ground not quite believing that she is dead, feeling her body still warm against his.
He remains like this until he hears the sounds of men grow quite close. He knows who it was, and he knows he dislikes them very much.
Still holding Edie, Legolas stands up and supports her dead weight in his arms as if she is a child. He strides through the trees with ease and stops only when the men come into view.
The repulsive Lord Antinous turned and sneered at him. "What have you got there?" he said, showing as little respect to the Prince of Mirkwood as he did for Melanthius or Eurymachus.
Legolas said nothing, but instead walked forward and halted directly in front of Lord Antinous's horse.
"You did this." Legolas said. "You drove her away and now she is dead. She was slain by the assassin you sent, barely an hour ago."
"I sent no assassin." Lord Antinous said, turning to his men for support.
"I know you did." Legolas said quietly, "Why else would the man who murdered this innocent child say he was commissioned by one Lord Antinous?"
"Someone is trying to frame me..." he said simply.
"My Lord." Melanthius spoke up, his voice shaking slightly. Betraying his master could have him killed. He nodded respectfully to Legolas and continued, "It is true. I saw him do it."
"Shut up, Boy! You know not of what you speak!" Lord Antinous growled at him, and Melanthius shrunk back.
"Lord Antinous hired that man to kill the Princess, Sir." Eurymachus said, and then all the soldiers around broke out talking in agreement, confirming Antinous's guilt.
"Then it is true." Legolas said, and looked up at Lord Antinous with great disdain. "The King shall know, and you shall pay the price for your treachery."
Lord Antinous uttered a small, scornful laugh. "The King is dead, a messenger came only this morning baring the sad news. The only heir to his kingdom lies cold in your arms. I expect to be named King when I return with the equally sad tidings of the young Princesses death. If you will hand the girl over to me it would make things run so much more smoothly."
Legolas shook his head. "You would kill an innocent for your greed." He placed Edie's body gently on the ground and took an arrow from his quiver, and before Lord Antinous could react he had shot him through the throat.
A crimson jet of life-blood gushed from his nostrils and Antinous uttered a small gurgling sound before falling stiffly off his horse and to the hard ground with a small twitch of his leg and a loud thump that echoed through trees in the silence of the forest.
There was no noise as the men gawped at Legolas as he picked Edie up from the ground and handed her to Eurymachus.
"Give her a proper burial in this forest. I do not wish to be present, for I fear the grief will be too much for me." Legolas said quietly and turned to leave.
"Thankyou, Sir." Eurymachus said as he watched Legolas's retreating figure and then set Edie on the ground. "We shall bury the Princess here." he said to the men and they all agreed.
Princess Edie was buried in the clearing where they stood as the sun set in the sky. Legolas watched from the trees, not wishing to disturb the ritual. The men made a mound, poured libations, and placed a beautiful flower atop it, a symbol of one who had died too young.
Lord Antinous was left where he fell, and soon became carrion, but even the beasts in the forest did not touch his rotting flesh.
Eurymachus became King and was a wise and fair ruler, who was loved by his subjects.
Legolas traveled Middle Earth, sometimes returning to Edie's grave to sit and remember her. He knew many who had lived and died, and did not dwell too much on the past.
The Elven Prince had known none only one other human to whom he had given his love.
THE END