A/N: THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! It's here. Please read, and
review. But I don't think I'll end it here, not yet. Aribeth still has to
be sorted out :D
Part 23 - A Proclamation Of Love On Both Sides
Alwyn firmly locked her door and dragged a large chair across the room to bar it, in case Legolas tried to force his way in. She went to the balcony and looked out. No, he could not get in that way, not unless he can jump ten feet, Alwyn thought grimly. She wouldn't put it past him, mind you.
Alwyn, finally finished with securing her room, collapsed onto her bed and lay in silence. She did not have the strength to cry. She did not even have the strength to feel any anger towards Legolas. Just shock, and pity. Alwyn looked up at the top of her four-poster's canopy covering and sniffed. Why wasn't she crying yet? Alwyn frowned and a picture of Legolas popped into her mind, saying "because...because...she is not you."
Alwyn squeezed her eyes shut. She wished her brother had not gone home to Mirkwood early. He could have stayed a little longer, even if there was business with the King to discuss.
After half an hour or so a knock at the door disturbed her thoughts. "Alwyn?" She ignored whoever it was, it sounded suspiciously like Legolas, and got up quickly. She looked hesitantly at the door, and then went over to the balcony. She swung her legs over the rail and, expertly, dropped lightly onto the flat roof below. Alwyn had done this so many times as a child it was almost second nature. She hopped down onto a low ledge nearby, and from there into the tree standing just next to it. She climbed down it carefully, and then jumped down to the ground with a pleased smile. She looked back up at the balcony. It wouldn't be long before he tried to leap onto that from her neighbour's balcony. 'Silly fool,' she thought, and then flitted away into the surrounding wood.
Alwyn knew exactly where to go. Her place. Her tree. Her childhood tree house, where she and Avardo had spent countless afternoons together, pretending they were off in Gondor, or the Misty Mountains. She climbed up the ladder to it and walked wearily inside. Trouble was, there was already someone there.
"What are you doing here!?" Alwyn said. Legolas spun around and blinked.
"What are you doing here?" he answered, and Alwyn stared at him.
"This is my...my special place!" she said, and Legolas blushed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't...I thought it was just...I found it, and came up here. Sorry," his voice was full of regret.
"But...you were outside my door!" Alwyn said, confused and angry.
"No I wasn't, that must have been Elrond."
Alwyn frowned and closed her eyes. "Everywhere I go, there you are. Reminding me how much I..." she stopped, and looked up at him with her large, pale eyes. He could see tears brimming in them. "Do you really think me cold hearted?" she asked, and Legolas did not hesitate.
"No, of course I don't. I was merely thinking about what Elsbeth said to me last night and..."
"What did she say about me?" Alwyn demanded, and Legolas looked taken aback.
"She called you a...a wench," he said, hesitantly, but Alwyn laughed out loud.
"Me!? A wench? When you look at her! And I've never even..." she stopped herself and flushed a deep crimson. Legolas looked away embarressed, and Alwyn shifted uncomfortably where she stood. "Well..." she said, and paused. It had started to rain outside and she could hear it drumming on the roof.
Legolas looked as if he was arguing with himself inside. Suddenly he grunted angrily and strode across the room. "For Eru's sake," he said and bent down to kiss Alwyn on the lips. Alwyn scowled and pushed him back.
"Hey, don't think you can just..." But she was cut off as he leaned in and kissed her again. Alwyn stepped back once more, angry. "Legolas, there is still the matter of..." she was interrupted again as he grabbed her and put his face close to hers.
"Alwyn, shut up," he said, and she paled with rage. She began to say something but he put a finger to her lips. "I love you, not Aribeth, remember the list? Now..." he kissed her one last time, and this time she gave in resisting. Alwyn kissed him back, and found that it was actually quite nice. She moved closer to him, snaking an arm up around his neck. As if in reply, he slid both arms around her waist. When the kiss ended they did not let go of each other, and Alwyn rested her head on his shoulder. She could smell the woodland on him.
Alwyn pulled away at last, her expression puzzled. "You love me?" she said, in disbelief.
Legolas sighed. "I have been trying to tell you since you fainted into my arms in Mirkwood. You told me you loved me then, but I think you were delirious.
Alwyn shook her head. "I don't remember...but if that is what I said then I was telling the truth."
"I thought you despised me," Legolas said, with a small smile.
"How could I? I did before but...you've changed Legolas. I think I have loved you since I first met you but I did not realise it."
They stood there for a moment more in silence, just looking at each other, and then Alwyn stepped away, and looked back at the entrance. "We can't stay here all night," she said, and Legolas made a grab for her.
His eyes were dancing. "Yes we can," he said, and Alwyn raised her eyebrows.
"I don't think so," she said, and began to climb down the ladder. Legolas' head appeared over the edge of the entrance.
"Come back!" he said, and Alwyn laughed at his expression.
"Sorry!" she jumped down and put her hands on her hips. "If you come back to the palace with me I might just let you kiss me again."
Legolas leapt down to the ground and then took her hand in his.
"Legolas?" Alwyn said, uneasily. Legolas looked at her.
"What?"
"What are we going to do about Aribeth?"
Part 23 - A Proclamation Of Love On Both Sides
Alwyn firmly locked her door and dragged a large chair across the room to bar it, in case Legolas tried to force his way in. She went to the balcony and looked out. No, he could not get in that way, not unless he can jump ten feet, Alwyn thought grimly. She wouldn't put it past him, mind you.
Alwyn, finally finished with securing her room, collapsed onto her bed and lay in silence. She did not have the strength to cry. She did not even have the strength to feel any anger towards Legolas. Just shock, and pity. Alwyn looked up at the top of her four-poster's canopy covering and sniffed. Why wasn't she crying yet? Alwyn frowned and a picture of Legolas popped into her mind, saying "because...because...she is not you."
Alwyn squeezed her eyes shut. She wished her brother had not gone home to Mirkwood early. He could have stayed a little longer, even if there was business with the King to discuss.
After half an hour or so a knock at the door disturbed her thoughts. "Alwyn?" She ignored whoever it was, it sounded suspiciously like Legolas, and got up quickly. She looked hesitantly at the door, and then went over to the balcony. She swung her legs over the rail and, expertly, dropped lightly onto the flat roof below. Alwyn had done this so many times as a child it was almost second nature. She hopped down onto a low ledge nearby, and from there into the tree standing just next to it. She climbed down it carefully, and then jumped down to the ground with a pleased smile. She looked back up at the balcony. It wouldn't be long before he tried to leap onto that from her neighbour's balcony. 'Silly fool,' she thought, and then flitted away into the surrounding wood.
Alwyn knew exactly where to go. Her place. Her tree. Her childhood tree house, where she and Avardo had spent countless afternoons together, pretending they were off in Gondor, or the Misty Mountains. She climbed up the ladder to it and walked wearily inside. Trouble was, there was already someone there.
"What are you doing here!?" Alwyn said. Legolas spun around and blinked.
"What are you doing here?" he answered, and Alwyn stared at him.
"This is my...my special place!" she said, and Legolas blushed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't...I thought it was just...I found it, and came up here. Sorry," his voice was full of regret.
"But...you were outside my door!" Alwyn said, confused and angry.
"No I wasn't, that must have been Elrond."
Alwyn frowned and closed her eyes. "Everywhere I go, there you are. Reminding me how much I..." she stopped, and looked up at him with her large, pale eyes. He could see tears brimming in them. "Do you really think me cold hearted?" she asked, and Legolas did not hesitate.
"No, of course I don't. I was merely thinking about what Elsbeth said to me last night and..."
"What did she say about me?" Alwyn demanded, and Legolas looked taken aback.
"She called you a...a wench," he said, hesitantly, but Alwyn laughed out loud.
"Me!? A wench? When you look at her! And I've never even..." she stopped herself and flushed a deep crimson. Legolas looked away embarressed, and Alwyn shifted uncomfortably where she stood. "Well..." she said, and paused. It had started to rain outside and she could hear it drumming on the roof.
Legolas looked as if he was arguing with himself inside. Suddenly he grunted angrily and strode across the room. "For Eru's sake," he said and bent down to kiss Alwyn on the lips. Alwyn scowled and pushed him back.
"Hey, don't think you can just..." But she was cut off as he leaned in and kissed her again. Alwyn stepped back once more, angry. "Legolas, there is still the matter of..." she was interrupted again as he grabbed her and put his face close to hers.
"Alwyn, shut up," he said, and she paled with rage. She began to say something but he put a finger to her lips. "I love you, not Aribeth, remember the list? Now..." he kissed her one last time, and this time she gave in resisting. Alwyn kissed him back, and found that it was actually quite nice. She moved closer to him, snaking an arm up around his neck. As if in reply, he slid both arms around her waist. When the kiss ended they did not let go of each other, and Alwyn rested her head on his shoulder. She could smell the woodland on him.
Alwyn pulled away at last, her expression puzzled. "You love me?" she said, in disbelief.
Legolas sighed. "I have been trying to tell you since you fainted into my arms in Mirkwood. You told me you loved me then, but I think you were delirious.
Alwyn shook her head. "I don't remember...but if that is what I said then I was telling the truth."
"I thought you despised me," Legolas said, with a small smile.
"How could I? I did before but...you've changed Legolas. I think I have loved you since I first met you but I did not realise it."
They stood there for a moment more in silence, just looking at each other, and then Alwyn stepped away, and looked back at the entrance. "We can't stay here all night," she said, and Legolas made a grab for her.
His eyes were dancing. "Yes we can," he said, and Alwyn raised her eyebrows.
"I don't think so," she said, and began to climb down the ladder. Legolas' head appeared over the edge of the entrance.
"Come back!" he said, and Alwyn laughed at his expression.
"Sorry!" she jumped down and put her hands on her hips. "If you come back to the palace with me I might just let you kiss me again."
Legolas leapt down to the ground and then took her hand in his.
"Legolas?" Alwyn said, uneasily. Legolas looked at her.
"What?"
"What are we going to do about Aribeth?"