A/N: As always, thanks for reading guys! Lets take a break from the
stubborness that is Alwyn, and take a look at things from Legolas' point of
view shall we? Just a small note: I'm coming away from P&P now, and the
story won't follow that plot anymore. I've decided to make it much longer
and more complicated than I originally intended.
Part 11 - Legolas Saves The Day
Three months later, Legolas was rowing down the river next to the palace in an elven boat, singing to himself. He sang loudly, not caring who heard, and his powerful oar strokes took him swiftly down the winding stream. He had left Rivendell with the intention of never looking back. Alwyn was indifferent to him, he should have seen it. He should have known she would turn him down. He had left with the promise that he would no longer grieve for her. If that was how she wanted it to be, then alright, he would wait for her if she ever changed her mind. He was just passing a large willow tree in the boat when he saw a pretty elven maiden by the shoreside. His voice faltered. She stood knee-deep in the cold water, and her long navy dress was soaked. She had very long brown hair and he could see that her eyes were dark.
He rowed on, now silent, but just as he passed the tree he saw the girl venture forward into the river. Legolas sat motionless, the boat taking him further and further upstream, away from the willow. After a pause, the Prince suddenly dug his oars into the water and hastily turned the boat about. He rowed with all his might back towards the tree, and glided underneath the hanging branched just in time to see her head disappear under the water. Legolas gave a cry.
"No!"
He leaned over and grabbed the girls shoulders, bringing her up into the boat coughing and spluttering. She fell into the bottom of the boat and Legolas leaned over her, checking to make sure she was alright.
"Are you an angel?" she asked quietly, coughing every now and again. Legolas smiled and shook his head.
"No, I am not an angel. I am just a Prince. Now, sit up."
The maiden sat up gingerly, and Legolas looked at her confused. Deciding not to say anything, however, he proceeded to row the boat away from the willow and back up towards the palace.
"I thank you," the girl said. "You saved my life."
"Anyone would have done it. I merely did what I had to do," he replied, regarding the girl closely. "Why..." He stopped when he saw tears in the girls eyes.
"Please do not ask me questions," she said. "I had to do it...there was no other way..."
Legolas was silent for a long while, and then he spoke. "What is your name?"
"Aribeth, I think," she said quietly, and Legolas smiled.
"That is a pretty name. I am Legolas."
"The Prince of Mirkwood?" Aribeth said, surprised. Legolas nodded, and she blushed. "I am sorry, Your Highness. I mean...I didn't mean to..."
"You have nothing to apologise for," Legolas said. "I will take you to my Father, he will know what to do with you."
***
"Desre, this is Aribeth. She's had an accident," Legolas said, ushering Aribeth towards the maid. Desre gasped as she took in the girl's soaking clothes and hair.
"My dear!" she cried, putting an arm around the girl and leading her away. "Are you alright? Lets get you some warm clothes..." her voice faded into the distance as she led Aribeth towards the kitchens. Legolas stood watching them with a half-smile playing across his lips. The girl was beautiful, he decided. She reminded him a little of Alwyn, but he didn't know why. Her hair perhaps, the eyes...there was something wonderful about Aribeth, and Legolas wanted to get to know her better.
"Legolas?" his sister's voice penetrated his thoughts like an arrow. "Who was that?"
Legolas turned and smiled at Mariyen. "I rescued her. She almost drowned. Her name is Aribeth...she is very pretty. She reminds me of Alwyn. Do you remember Alwyn?"
Mariyen's face suddenly fell and she looked up at her brother miserably. "Please don't, Legolas...you know it only reminds me of him. I know I shall never see him but..."
Legolas felt it was time. "Mariyen? I have to tell you something. Avardo loved...loves...you. I concealed the fact that he was here because...I dodn't want you to get hurt! I apologise."
Mariyen frowned. "He was here!? You did not tell me? Oh...wait...he loves me?" she added in a whisper. Legolas nodded.
"I am almost certain that he does, Mariyen."
"Then...then I must see him directly! What shall I say?" she asked, nervously.
"Tell him the truth," Legolas replied softly, and Mariyen smiled warmly. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and hurried off, leaving the Prince to stand and think.
***
Alwyn looked at Elrond's happy face and her heart sank. 'He really wants me to go to Mirkwood with him and Avardo...but I can't! Legolas will be there.' A thousand thoughts whirled around in her head.
"Well? Are you going to come with us?" Elrond asked, prompting Alwyn for an answer.
Alwyn hesitated. "I...well...yes of course!"
'No! Now what have you done!?' she thought to herself. 'This is just perfect.'
"Well, good!" Elrond said, cheerfully. "We'll leave as soon as possible. Get your things ready."
Alwyn sighed miserably and trudged off to her room.
"Yes Uncle," she replied glumly. On the plus side, however, it would be a good chance for Avardo to see Mariyen again. Her spirits were lifted a little, but the prospect of having to see Legolas again only made them sink further.
"I'm done for." She thought, glumly.
Part 11 - Legolas Saves The Day
Three months later, Legolas was rowing down the river next to the palace in an elven boat, singing to himself. He sang loudly, not caring who heard, and his powerful oar strokes took him swiftly down the winding stream. He had left Rivendell with the intention of never looking back. Alwyn was indifferent to him, he should have seen it. He should have known she would turn him down. He had left with the promise that he would no longer grieve for her. If that was how she wanted it to be, then alright, he would wait for her if she ever changed her mind. He was just passing a large willow tree in the boat when he saw a pretty elven maiden by the shoreside. His voice faltered. She stood knee-deep in the cold water, and her long navy dress was soaked. She had very long brown hair and he could see that her eyes were dark.
He rowed on, now silent, but just as he passed the tree he saw the girl venture forward into the river. Legolas sat motionless, the boat taking him further and further upstream, away from the willow. After a pause, the Prince suddenly dug his oars into the water and hastily turned the boat about. He rowed with all his might back towards the tree, and glided underneath the hanging branched just in time to see her head disappear under the water. Legolas gave a cry.
"No!"
He leaned over and grabbed the girls shoulders, bringing her up into the boat coughing and spluttering. She fell into the bottom of the boat and Legolas leaned over her, checking to make sure she was alright.
"Are you an angel?" she asked quietly, coughing every now and again. Legolas smiled and shook his head.
"No, I am not an angel. I am just a Prince. Now, sit up."
The maiden sat up gingerly, and Legolas looked at her confused. Deciding not to say anything, however, he proceeded to row the boat away from the willow and back up towards the palace.
"I thank you," the girl said. "You saved my life."
"Anyone would have done it. I merely did what I had to do," he replied, regarding the girl closely. "Why..." He stopped when he saw tears in the girls eyes.
"Please do not ask me questions," she said. "I had to do it...there was no other way..."
Legolas was silent for a long while, and then he spoke. "What is your name?"
"Aribeth, I think," she said quietly, and Legolas smiled.
"That is a pretty name. I am Legolas."
"The Prince of Mirkwood?" Aribeth said, surprised. Legolas nodded, and she blushed. "I am sorry, Your Highness. I mean...I didn't mean to..."
"You have nothing to apologise for," Legolas said. "I will take you to my Father, he will know what to do with you."
***
"Desre, this is Aribeth. She's had an accident," Legolas said, ushering Aribeth towards the maid. Desre gasped as she took in the girl's soaking clothes and hair.
"My dear!" she cried, putting an arm around the girl and leading her away. "Are you alright? Lets get you some warm clothes..." her voice faded into the distance as she led Aribeth towards the kitchens. Legolas stood watching them with a half-smile playing across his lips. The girl was beautiful, he decided. She reminded him a little of Alwyn, but he didn't know why. Her hair perhaps, the eyes...there was something wonderful about Aribeth, and Legolas wanted to get to know her better.
"Legolas?" his sister's voice penetrated his thoughts like an arrow. "Who was that?"
Legolas turned and smiled at Mariyen. "I rescued her. She almost drowned. Her name is Aribeth...she is very pretty. She reminds me of Alwyn. Do you remember Alwyn?"
Mariyen's face suddenly fell and she looked up at her brother miserably. "Please don't, Legolas...you know it only reminds me of him. I know I shall never see him but..."
Legolas felt it was time. "Mariyen? I have to tell you something. Avardo loved...loves...you. I concealed the fact that he was here because...I dodn't want you to get hurt! I apologise."
Mariyen frowned. "He was here!? You did not tell me? Oh...wait...he loves me?" she added in a whisper. Legolas nodded.
"I am almost certain that he does, Mariyen."
"Then...then I must see him directly! What shall I say?" she asked, nervously.
"Tell him the truth," Legolas replied softly, and Mariyen smiled warmly. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and hurried off, leaving the Prince to stand and think.
***
Alwyn looked at Elrond's happy face and her heart sank. 'He really wants me to go to Mirkwood with him and Avardo...but I can't! Legolas will be there.' A thousand thoughts whirled around in her head.
"Well? Are you going to come with us?" Elrond asked, prompting Alwyn for an answer.
Alwyn hesitated. "I...well...yes of course!"
'No! Now what have you done!?' she thought to herself. 'This is just perfect.'
"Well, good!" Elrond said, cheerfully. "We'll leave as soon as possible. Get your things ready."
Alwyn sighed miserably and trudged off to her room.
"Yes Uncle," she replied glumly. On the plus side, however, it would be a good chance for Avardo to see Mariyen again. Her spirits were lifted a little, but the prospect of having to see Legolas again only made them sink further.
"I'm done for." She thought, glumly.