A/N: Yay, I'm so chuffed with all the reviews. Thank you all so much for
reading this - I'm enjoying writing it. I hope you will carry on reading.
This is the day of the wedding, and Alwyn makes a very dangerous decision.
Will Legolas keep his promise to help her? Read on...
Part 16 - Running From An Evil Named Dantir
"Avardo!"
Alwyn ran into her brother's bedroom and hugged him; she had not seen him for a long time since he had had business with Elrond that had kept him away. "How are you, dear brother?" she asked.
"I am fine, Alwyn."
Her brother's long, ebony hair was back in two small plaits at the sides of his head and he looked as handsome as ever. He patted his sister on the arm. "How are you finding near-married life?" he asked.
Alwyn grimaced, but then turned it into a beaming smile (with a lot of effort). "Brilliant," she replied, trying to sound cheerful. "Just...brilliant."
"Glad to hear it."
There came a sudden knock at the door, and when Alwyn went to open it she smiled. "Hello Mariyen!" Alwyn turned to her brother and winked animatedly. Avardo went red and frowned, gesturing for her to go outside. Alwyn noticed that Avardo looked quite nervous, more nervous, in fact, than she had ever seen him look. Suddenly it hit her.
"Oh! I'm sorry. I should be going..." she said, hurrying out of the room. Mariyen slipped past her with a confused smile, but then looked at Avardo and her expression became caring. Alwyn decided to leave them to it. She hesitated at the door, wondering whether she could get away with eavesdropping, but then thought better of it and walked away. She had sneaking suspicion that Avardo was about to ask the Princess a very...important question, and she didn't want to interfere.
Alwyn counted to three hundred before stepping quietly up to the door again, and opening it softly. She poked her head around it and saw her brother's head snap round. She blushed, but Avardo beckoned her in. He was beaming.
"Alwyn! I have good news," he said. Alwyn's heart fluttered. Was it true? "Mariyen has agreed to marry me!"
"Oh gosh, I...I'm so happy for the both of you!" Alwyn gushed, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She hastily wiped them away, knowing that she was only crying because she wished she could have the same happiness with someone else as Avardo was experiencing with Mariyen. Avardo looked quite overwhelmed, so Alwyn thought it better to leave now. "I will speak to you after...after..." Alwyn couldn't bring herself to say the word 'wedding'. She merely closed the door and hurried away to let the servants preen her and dress her and make her look like a bride.
Alwyn was ecstatic for her brother and utterly depressed for herself all at the same time.
***
The crowds were gathered, Avardo stood beaming, and Alwyn was about to walk down past everyone gathered to approach Dantir and become his wife. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach and every breath she took felt like a knife in her side. Whenever she thought about what she was about to do - her stomach flipped over. Suddenly the music started up and she knew her time had come. She walked numbly towards her soon-to-be husband and resisted the urge to retch. He took her hand firmly in his, as if to hold her there and stop her from escaping, and smiled around at everyone cheerfully. Alwyn felt like killing him right there and then.
Alwyn didn't really listen to Thranduil at all. She merely stood, numb, unseeing and unhearing as Dantir said his vows. She noticed that he had let go of her hand.
Suddenly, Alwyn sucked in her breath. The way was clear - run! 'Run, now, before he has a chance to stop you. If you stay you will become his wife and then you will be bound to him,' she thought. Thranduil turned to her and said something, but she did not hear him. There was a long pause, in which Dantir stared incredulously at her, almost as if he couldn't believe she was staying silent. He opened his mouth as if to say something but Alwyn drew back her fist and pounded it directly into his evil, hideous face. He gave a muffled 'oomph' of surprise and staggered back. Alwyn turned and looked directly at Legolas, he was staring at her like a fish, with his mouth open. Alwyn had decided.
She ran.
She darted away from Dantir's grip like a bird, fleeing the clutches of its evil captor. She sprinted past the onlookers, their mouths open in wide 'o's of horror. She heard Dantir give a yell behind her, and, looking back, saw him give chase. She also saw Legolas break away from the crowd and join the pursuer. He, however, was chasing Dantir.
She ran on.
Stumbling and gasping, she plummeted into the woods around the palace grounds, going deeper and deeper into the foliage. The wedding dress, she suddenly noticed, was hindering her movement, so she bent down and ripped the dress away. It was now ragged and just above knee-length. Behind her, she could her Dantir's screams of rage, and Legolas' shouts of "Run, Alwyn! Run!"
She ran. She ran like she had never run before, through the trees, dodging, darting and weaving. Her long ebony black hair streamed out behind her and tears began to fall from her icy blue eyes. She suddenly fell forward, tripping on a large root and sprawling on the ground.
When she looked up, Dantir was standing over her, his expression nothing short of murderous.
A/N: I know, I'm cruel. What a cliffhanger! Oh! Just realised, I'm going to be away for the next six weeks...only joking! Hehe. I'd never be that wicked. I promise I'll update soon.
Part 16 - Running From An Evil Named Dantir
"Avardo!"
Alwyn ran into her brother's bedroom and hugged him; she had not seen him for a long time since he had had business with Elrond that had kept him away. "How are you, dear brother?" she asked.
"I am fine, Alwyn."
Her brother's long, ebony hair was back in two small plaits at the sides of his head and he looked as handsome as ever. He patted his sister on the arm. "How are you finding near-married life?" he asked.
Alwyn grimaced, but then turned it into a beaming smile (with a lot of effort). "Brilliant," she replied, trying to sound cheerful. "Just...brilliant."
"Glad to hear it."
There came a sudden knock at the door, and when Alwyn went to open it she smiled. "Hello Mariyen!" Alwyn turned to her brother and winked animatedly. Avardo went red and frowned, gesturing for her to go outside. Alwyn noticed that Avardo looked quite nervous, more nervous, in fact, than she had ever seen him look. Suddenly it hit her.
"Oh! I'm sorry. I should be going..." she said, hurrying out of the room. Mariyen slipped past her with a confused smile, but then looked at Avardo and her expression became caring. Alwyn decided to leave them to it. She hesitated at the door, wondering whether she could get away with eavesdropping, but then thought better of it and walked away. She had sneaking suspicion that Avardo was about to ask the Princess a very...important question, and she didn't want to interfere.
Alwyn counted to three hundred before stepping quietly up to the door again, and opening it softly. She poked her head around it and saw her brother's head snap round. She blushed, but Avardo beckoned her in. He was beaming.
"Alwyn! I have good news," he said. Alwyn's heart fluttered. Was it true? "Mariyen has agreed to marry me!"
"Oh gosh, I...I'm so happy for the both of you!" Alwyn gushed, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She hastily wiped them away, knowing that she was only crying because she wished she could have the same happiness with someone else as Avardo was experiencing with Mariyen. Avardo looked quite overwhelmed, so Alwyn thought it better to leave now. "I will speak to you after...after..." Alwyn couldn't bring herself to say the word 'wedding'. She merely closed the door and hurried away to let the servants preen her and dress her and make her look like a bride.
Alwyn was ecstatic for her brother and utterly depressed for herself all at the same time.
***
The crowds were gathered, Avardo stood beaming, and Alwyn was about to walk down past everyone gathered to approach Dantir and become his wife. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach and every breath she took felt like a knife in her side. Whenever she thought about what she was about to do - her stomach flipped over. Suddenly the music started up and she knew her time had come. She walked numbly towards her soon-to-be husband and resisted the urge to retch. He took her hand firmly in his, as if to hold her there and stop her from escaping, and smiled around at everyone cheerfully. Alwyn felt like killing him right there and then.
Alwyn didn't really listen to Thranduil at all. She merely stood, numb, unseeing and unhearing as Dantir said his vows. She noticed that he had let go of her hand.
Suddenly, Alwyn sucked in her breath. The way was clear - run! 'Run, now, before he has a chance to stop you. If you stay you will become his wife and then you will be bound to him,' she thought. Thranduil turned to her and said something, but she did not hear him. There was a long pause, in which Dantir stared incredulously at her, almost as if he couldn't believe she was staying silent. He opened his mouth as if to say something but Alwyn drew back her fist and pounded it directly into his evil, hideous face. He gave a muffled 'oomph' of surprise and staggered back. Alwyn turned and looked directly at Legolas, he was staring at her like a fish, with his mouth open. Alwyn had decided.
She ran.
She darted away from Dantir's grip like a bird, fleeing the clutches of its evil captor. She sprinted past the onlookers, their mouths open in wide 'o's of horror. She heard Dantir give a yell behind her, and, looking back, saw him give chase. She also saw Legolas break away from the crowd and join the pursuer. He, however, was chasing Dantir.
She ran on.
Stumbling and gasping, she plummeted into the woods around the palace grounds, going deeper and deeper into the foliage. The wedding dress, she suddenly noticed, was hindering her movement, so she bent down and ripped the dress away. It was now ragged and just above knee-length. Behind her, she could her Dantir's screams of rage, and Legolas' shouts of "Run, Alwyn! Run!"
She ran. She ran like she had never run before, through the trees, dodging, darting and weaving. Her long ebony black hair streamed out behind her and tears began to fall from her icy blue eyes. She suddenly fell forward, tripping on a large root and sprawling on the ground.
When she looked up, Dantir was standing over her, his expression nothing short of murderous.
A/N: I know, I'm cruel. What a cliffhanger! Oh! Just realised, I'm going to be away for the next six weeks...only joking! Hehe. I'd never be that wicked. I promise I'll update soon.