Disclaimer: I don't own lord of the rings.

A/N: HE'S NOT DEAD!! Don't panic!! Now breathe that's it. This one is one of my fav chapters so far. It really shows how much my brainchild Kĩyara loves the sexiest elf in existence. Yay!! For all you other equestrian lovers out there (I'm one too!) Caradien is an Irish Draught and stands at 16.3 hh. Can I also have people's opinion: when Celen refers to Legolas as daddy is it all right or should I revert to father?

This may seem a bit of an odd chapter but its coz me and my beat reader Kat are currently involved in co-writing a Harry Potter fic and we didn't have time to change anything but it seems ok. Any views let me know!!

Legolas could feel nothing but blinding pain in his right shoulder. His mouth was dry and his entire body ached. Muffled thoughts drifted past his brain in a steady march. There had been the battle he could remember that. And Kĩyara saying something about Sauron.

Celen? What had happened to Celen? Slowly Legolas opened his eyes. The bright sun dazzled him but he could make out the room he was in. It was his and Kĩyara's chamber. He tried to sit up but the explosion of pain in his shoulder forced him to lie down, the agonising flashes ebbed away until it was just a dull throb.

"How do you feel?"

It was Deluwiel, her large doe eyes concerned.

"Not well. Can I sit up?"

Deluwiel nodded and supported his left arm to help sit her lord up. She noted the spasm of pain that crossed his face and was glad her Ladyship wasn't here.

"What happened to Celen?"

Deluwiel noted the hint of fear in his voice and the clouded look in his eyes when he spoke.

"He's fine, just hungry and bruised. He's running around like nothings happened. It's Kĩyara you should be worrying about; she's done nothing but fret since you came back. I've had to send her out at least twice!"

Legolas half smiled.

"What about my arm? It was broken wasn't it?"

"Yes but that was easy to fix. It's your shoulder that's causing problems. I don't know how much you know about medicine but because the broken arm wasn't a weapon wound it healed in a couple of hours with the right treatment. The dagger was man made so it's causing problems it will heal though."

Deluwiel smiled encouragingly.

"Can you find Kĩyara for me Deluwiel?"

"Of course my Lord."

Legolas watched Deluwiel walk out of the room before closing his eyes in pain.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kĩyara sat carefully on the edge of the bed. Legolas was asleep again by the time Deluwiel had found her and brought her back. Sadly Kĩyara touched Legolas' face and pushed his damp hair back. His face was still pale and drawn; it scared Kĩyara to see him like this. It reminded her of old mortals who were close to death, their frail bodies barely existing in this world and their minds fading into shadows. She could not comprehend old age, death she had seen and dealt out many times, but this was a different sort of demise. The slow ebb of life chilled Kĩyara to the bone and she was afraid.

A tug at her flowing sleeve made Kĩyara look down. Lost in her thoughts she had not heard Celen enter the room. Celen's huge round eyes looked inquisitively up. Lower even than Celen was the puppy Arwen who had taken to following her young master around everywhere. Kĩyara put a slender hand on her son's head.

"Is daddy alright?"

Kĩyara smiled bravely and nodded. She picked her little boy up and sat him on the bed. The scratches and bruises on Celen were rapidly fading just like the fear imprinted on him. Kĩyara was overjoyed when she held him her arms again; it was like holding him for the first time after he had been born. The experience didn't seem to have affected him much, but he never went outside alone now. Kĩyara watched Legolas' eyes flicker and his smile warmed her heart.

"How's my duinn solas?"

Celen giggled and made to jump on Legolas but Kĩyara grabbed him mid-leap.

"Be careful, daddy's hurt his arm."

Celen bit his lip and very slowly snuggled under Legolas' left arm chattering happily once he was settled.

Legolas tore himself from Celen and looked deep into Kĩyara's eyes and again he could see she was hiding something. She looked unflinchingly back. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

*  At the end of the battle, sort of a flash back. *

Once it had been ascertained that Legolas' wasn't dead Kĩyara had rushed through the now captured castle and to the fallen form of her son. Kai's crumpled figure lay beside him, the look of twisted malice still engraved on his face. A cold rush of wind and the echoing screams of a defeated Sauron told Kĩyara she had been right, the name said it all. Kai d'Ceever. Not wanting to look upon the sight anymore she had scooped her baby into her arms and carried his unconscious body back through the castle. Only when she had reached the courtyard did she stop. The conquered Lord Macsen was standing surrounded by archers who all had their bows aimed at him. Someone asked Kĩyara if they should kill him. The dirt stained face of her son made the words yes begin to form on her lips but she was cut short by the cry of Lady Chandra.

"Please spare him!"

Kĩyara had done a double take before answering.

"Why? He treats you roughly and with no respect!"

Chandra's face had shown her inner battle.

"Only at the order of Kai! Lady Aithianne he used to love me, maybe not like you love Lord Greenleaf but it was still there. Our lives are fleeting compared to your span of years and I am in no doubt that you and your people hold the greatest wisdom in this earth but please let me have him back."

Kĩyara was taken aback by this perceptive and accurate insight. Under the frail exterior Lady Chandra had a spirit of steel. She watched and learned.

"Spare him. I know what force Kai could wield because the power that possessed him has been my bane for many years. I have fought it and won, Kai could not. Even though it isn't your husbands fault you must understand that I don't know if I can forgive you."

Lady Chandra bowed her head in acceptance before she spoke again.

"That is the way it must be. Our people are too different to be allies, but please let us not fight. I envy your existence."

Kĩyara nodded and walked out of the castle, as she passed Lady Chandra she stopped briefly.

"Be happy with what you are, for me the pain lasts an eternity but then so does the joy."

These two women, so alike, yet so different never saw each other again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

* Back in the present a couple of hour later *

The pit in Kĩyara's stomach filled with a nervous anxiety. She could feel Legolas' mind working; he knew she had a secret. It wasn't a devastating utterance, but because it had been left untouched for so long it had built up. Kĩyara didn't know if she could find the courage to tell him while he was in this state. She didn't want to fight with Legolas now but now he was found the secret couldn't be kept for long.

What Kĩyara had never told Legolas was that she had a brother. It had all started after her mother and father had left safe in the assurance that their daughter was in the care of her older and younger brother. Not a hundred years after they had sailed to the grey havens Kĩyara's youngest brother Roéaith had drowned, dragged out to sea by a current. Her older brother Lanien had withdrawn into himself and had been overcome by grief. One morning Kĩyara had awoken to find him gone, she was alone by the smouldering remains of the fire. A small slip of parchment read that Lanien had gone to the grey havens to find their parents. From that day forward Kĩyara had been alone, left to constantly search for her lost brother. And now she had found him.

He was in Lady Galadriel's lands.

Kĩyara dreaded her brother finding out about Legolas' more than she dreaded Legolas' finding out about her brother. This was because Lanién held old values near his heart and she knew what he would say about her husband's bloodline. She didn't want to subject Legolas' to her sibling's hostility but it had to be done. She couldn't hide forever. She sat back next to Legolas. Stuttering she began hands folded in her lap eyes downcast.

"Legolas…"

His hand touched her cheek and she looked at him.

"What?"

She couldn't bring herself to tell him.

"Nothing."

He looked knowingly at her but let it rest. He felt too weak to argue with her. Instead he sat up more and pulled her to him. Gently he kissed her. Sweet and brief, Kĩyara didn't want more now. Both satisfied they broke the embrace.

Kĩyara watched helplessly when Legolas gasped with the pain in his shoulder as he settled back down onto the pillows.

Through the pain Legolas spoke.

"We need to get away from here for a while."

Kĩyara nodded sagely.

"Then we shall visit Galadriel and Celeborn."

Even as this chapter of their lives finished another one began, like a phoenix born from the ashes.