A/N: BUAHAHAHAHA!!! Sorry. It will get better, promise. Aaaanyway...this
chapter should be interesting to write. Thank you all for the reviews, you
are the best! Keep reading!
Part 15 - An Interrupted Conversation
The day of the wedding drew nearer, and Alwyn found herself going to Legolas more and more often to talk. They would meet in the library more often than not, and Alwyn, still not giving away the truth completely, always gave away some hints of the dire situation she was in.
It was early in the morning, and Alwyn was sitting at the desk in her bedroom, writing a letter.
Legolas, Please come to see me today between four and five, while Dantir is out hunting. Alwyn
Just as she finished, Dantir came striding into the room and Alwyn hastily folded the paper, concealing it beneath a jewellery box. Dantir looked at her suspiciously, and then went out. Alwyn stuck out her tongue at the door and then slipped out into the corridor to give the letter to a passing servant.
"Desre!" she hissed, as the maiden walked past. "Could you take this to the Prince?"
"Of course, my dear," Desre replied, and hurried away. Alwyn watched her go, checked the quarters for Dantir, and then sat reading on her bed.
After a few minutes, however, she put it down and lay backwards staring up at the ornate, decorated ceiling. Only a few months ago she had detested the Prince. He had been reserved, quiet and somewhat arrogant but when she had seen him the other day with Aribeth, he had been the complete opposite. Fun loving, cheerful...not the Legolas she knew! And when she had asked to talk to him, he hadn't walked away. He hadn't shunned her like before - he had sat to listen, and had tried to comfort her.
Alwyn sighed. What had induced the change? A little voice in the back of her head said 'Aribeth!' but she tried to ignore it. Had the girl had so good an effect on him that he had been influenced to change to a better person? Did he...love her? Alwyn knew that if he did, it shouldn't bother her, but it did. And she didn't know why.
***
"Shall you go hunting this afternoon?"
Alwyn tried to keep her voice casual and seem uninterested. Dantir looked at her, and then sighed.
"It's boring," he said, and Alwyn tensed. There was a pause, while Alwyn tried not to seem agitated. Could she see Legolas before he came and tell him not to visit? Maybe she could find him now to prevent him coming here?
"But...I suppose I shall," Dantir said, rising and getting his riding gear from the corner. Alwyn looked away so he wouldn't see her relieved expression. He left, and Alwyn stood at the door to check he was out of sight. After a moment or two, she saw Legolas come down the hall and she went to sit down.
He knocked softly, and then entered. "Alwyn?"
"Hello Legolas," she replied, and stood up. They stood on opposite sides of the room, looking at each other. She couldn't work out his expression. "It is so good of you to come. But now that you are here I...don't know where to start."
"I am sorry I have been of so little use to you," Legolas said softly, and Alwyn shook her head, stepping forward towards him.
"No! Don't say that, you are the only..." she stopped. "I wanted to tell you...I don't know what to do. I don't know how to bear my life with him. If you only knew what my life is like with Dantir," she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Legolas saw her distress, and came a little closer. "Perhaps if he knew how unhappy you are.?"
"Of course he knows!" Alwyn insisted. "He takes pleasure from it!"
Legolas paused, and then Alwyn came right up to him and took his hand. "Say you'll help me. Please, I am afraid. I am afraid of what I might do."
Legolas looked at her searchingly. "I will help you," he said, and his eyes travelled down toward her lips. Alwyn's skin tingled as she looked into his eyes, and she leaned in a little closer. He reached up and slowly brushed a stray lock of hair from her face...and then his head suddenly snapped around.
Alwyn could hear footsteps on the stairs. She only just had time to take a few steps away from Legolas before Dantir strode in. He stood, framed in the doorway, a half smile on his face. After a pause he walked in and sat down on a nearby chair, looking up at them both with an expression of amusement. Alwyn looked back at Legolas, and he turned and walked out without a sound.
"I thought you were hunting," Alwyn said, trying not to appear flustered.
Dantir stretched out in the chair languidly. "I changed my mind," he replied with a smile.
Alwyn started to walk out of the room but Dantir's sharp command stopped her. "Sit."
Alwyn sat, and stared at Dantir with a look of contempt plainly across her face. He chose to ignore this and carried on. "You're a fool, if you think this kind of thing will put me off marrying you."
"What kind of thing?" Alwyn said innocently.
"You know damn well what I am talking about, and I would appreciate it if you acted in a more civilised way!"
"You object to me talking to the Prince?" Alwyn said derisively.
"I object to you having these little 'secret meetings' with him whenever I am not there."
Alwyn scowled slightly and looked out of the window, angry that he had found out.
"Now..." he eyed her wickedly. "Come over here."
Alwyn narrowed her eyes. "No."
Part 15 - An Interrupted Conversation
The day of the wedding drew nearer, and Alwyn found herself going to Legolas more and more often to talk. They would meet in the library more often than not, and Alwyn, still not giving away the truth completely, always gave away some hints of the dire situation she was in.
It was early in the morning, and Alwyn was sitting at the desk in her bedroom, writing a letter.
Legolas, Please come to see me today between four and five, while Dantir is out hunting. Alwyn
Just as she finished, Dantir came striding into the room and Alwyn hastily folded the paper, concealing it beneath a jewellery box. Dantir looked at her suspiciously, and then went out. Alwyn stuck out her tongue at the door and then slipped out into the corridor to give the letter to a passing servant.
"Desre!" she hissed, as the maiden walked past. "Could you take this to the Prince?"
"Of course, my dear," Desre replied, and hurried away. Alwyn watched her go, checked the quarters for Dantir, and then sat reading on her bed.
After a few minutes, however, she put it down and lay backwards staring up at the ornate, decorated ceiling. Only a few months ago she had detested the Prince. He had been reserved, quiet and somewhat arrogant but when she had seen him the other day with Aribeth, he had been the complete opposite. Fun loving, cheerful...not the Legolas she knew! And when she had asked to talk to him, he hadn't walked away. He hadn't shunned her like before - he had sat to listen, and had tried to comfort her.
Alwyn sighed. What had induced the change? A little voice in the back of her head said 'Aribeth!' but she tried to ignore it. Had the girl had so good an effect on him that he had been influenced to change to a better person? Did he...love her? Alwyn knew that if he did, it shouldn't bother her, but it did. And she didn't know why.
***
"Shall you go hunting this afternoon?"
Alwyn tried to keep her voice casual and seem uninterested. Dantir looked at her, and then sighed.
"It's boring," he said, and Alwyn tensed. There was a pause, while Alwyn tried not to seem agitated. Could she see Legolas before he came and tell him not to visit? Maybe she could find him now to prevent him coming here?
"But...I suppose I shall," Dantir said, rising and getting his riding gear from the corner. Alwyn looked away so he wouldn't see her relieved expression. He left, and Alwyn stood at the door to check he was out of sight. After a moment or two, she saw Legolas come down the hall and she went to sit down.
He knocked softly, and then entered. "Alwyn?"
"Hello Legolas," she replied, and stood up. They stood on opposite sides of the room, looking at each other. She couldn't work out his expression. "It is so good of you to come. But now that you are here I...don't know where to start."
"I am sorry I have been of so little use to you," Legolas said softly, and Alwyn shook her head, stepping forward towards him.
"No! Don't say that, you are the only..." she stopped. "I wanted to tell you...I don't know what to do. I don't know how to bear my life with him. If you only knew what my life is like with Dantir," she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Legolas saw her distress, and came a little closer. "Perhaps if he knew how unhappy you are.?"
"Of course he knows!" Alwyn insisted. "He takes pleasure from it!"
Legolas paused, and then Alwyn came right up to him and took his hand. "Say you'll help me. Please, I am afraid. I am afraid of what I might do."
Legolas looked at her searchingly. "I will help you," he said, and his eyes travelled down toward her lips. Alwyn's skin tingled as she looked into his eyes, and she leaned in a little closer. He reached up and slowly brushed a stray lock of hair from her face...and then his head suddenly snapped around.
Alwyn could hear footsteps on the stairs. She only just had time to take a few steps away from Legolas before Dantir strode in. He stood, framed in the doorway, a half smile on his face. After a pause he walked in and sat down on a nearby chair, looking up at them both with an expression of amusement. Alwyn looked back at Legolas, and he turned and walked out without a sound.
"I thought you were hunting," Alwyn said, trying not to appear flustered.
Dantir stretched out in the chair languidly. "I changed my mind," he replied with a smile.
Alwyn started to walk out of the room but Dantir's sharp command stopped her. "Sit."
Alwyn sat, and stared at Dantir with a look of contempt plainly across her face. He chose to ignore this and carried on. "You're a fool, if you think this kind of thing will put me off marrying you."
"What kind of thing?" Alwyn said innocently.
"You know damn well what I am talking about, and I would appreciate it if you acted in a more civilised way!"
"You object to me talking to the Prince?" Alwyn said derisively.
"I object to you having these little 'secret meetings' with him whenever I am not there."
Alwyn scowled slightly and looked out of the window, angry that he had found out.
"Now..." he eyed her wickedly. "Come over here."
Alwyn narrowed her eyes. "No."