Chapter Seven
He should have been there sooner. She must have followed him after he left. This was his entire fault. He should have headed that way right when he originally heard the orcs.
He stole a glance over at the sleeping girl. She was beautiful. She would be well in a few days, but Legolas hated seeing people hurt, especially from orcs.
~~~
Linetta woke as the sun was dawning. Orange and pink rays streamed into the room. She was in a room. The thought startled her. It was déjà vu except she was not at home.
Her chest had dull sensation. It took her a couple moments to remember what happened.
She looked back over to the window. Silhouetted in the sunlight was Legolas. He was sitting relaxed in the doorway to a small porch.
***
Silently, he stood and walked over to the bed. He sat on the edge and her eyes fluttered open. They looked at him and she attempted a smile against the pain. His heart stopped. Her smile could torture a man.
"Good morning, Milady. I gather you slept well?"
"Thank you," she replied not answering his question. "Thank you for saving me."
"You're very welcome, Lady Linetta. I just wish I was there sooner."
"You came soon enough."
"Milady? Why did you follow me?"
She paused, as if to think of the answer, "Part of me told me not let you go. Did you mean what you said? When you left?"
The words floated back to his memory. "Yes, Milady. You are beautiful and I will never forget you."
"I don't want to forget you either," she whispered.
There was a quiet knock on the door and an elf appeared in the doorway. "Prince Legolas, you company is requested with the king."
Legolas acknowledged and stood up. "I will be back shortly," he said before following the maid out.
His father was in Legolas' quarters standing on the porch. He heard Legolas enter and turned to greet him.
"We were worried by your absence," he said.
"I am sorry, Father. I was too. Somehow, I found myself in another Age when I went for a walk in the wood."
"The stories can wait. I need to know about this woman you brought back. Who is she? She looks like one of our kind."
"I think she is, Father, but she does not know. She had a bracelet given to her at birth saying in elvish, 'That you may find peace on this new land. Then, find your way."
His father turned away and faced outside. "Interesting. Who gave it to her?"
Legolas joined him on the porch. "She thinks her birthparents, yet she does not know who they are. She grew up alone."
"I will look into this. I will also seek Gandalf to find how you were transferred to her Age, then both of you here. Until then, she will need her rest to recover."
"Thank you, Father," Legolas left to join Linetta once again.
When he arrived at Linetta's door, the maid was just leaving. She bowed slightly and scurried off. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped in.
She was in a white elven dress. Her hair had a few small braids in it. She was gorgeous and definitely an elf. There was no way a mortal could look that beautiful.
He stood there in the doorway just staring at her as she inspected her new dress. She moved and sat down on the bed, her hand on her lower chest and her face showing pain.
"Milady, you must lie down and get your rest," he told her as he walked towards her.
She turned to look at him and sighed, "Yes, I guess so. I am sorry I didn't believe you. I just don't understand how this is real."
"Apology accepted. I do not understand the book myself. Someone from your world must have followed us on our journey. I do not see how that is possible, but it must have been."
She looked at him and a small smile crept across her face. "I did not know you were a prince, Legolas." The smile faded. "Have I been treating you unroyal? Should I be bowing and saying, 'You're Majesty'?"
He laughed at her seriousness. "No. I did not tell you for a reason. I don't want you to think me as royalty. I wanted you to treat me as you do everyone else without the thought of being more courteous passing through your mind."
She didn't respond, but instead leaned back against the pillows on the bed. When she looked away from him and he wondered if he said something that insulted her.
"What is it, Milady?"
She closed her eyes. "When we met, you spoke of taking me here. Now I am here, what are you going to do to me?"
The question startled him. Did she not like it here?
He thought about the day they met. He felt horrible about it. He had almost killed her. He would give anything to go back and change her first impression of him. Remembering the way she followed him like the prisoner he made her made him flinch. He still had yet to apologize for that.
"I want to help you, Lady Linetta. You seemed in search of your past and I thought we could help you here. If you do not wish to stay I understand."
Although he did not understand. Why would she want to return to that odd world she lived in? Then it hit him, she may feel the same here as he felt in her home. He did not want her to go. He wanted her to stay forever. But he could not make her. It was her choice to be made.
~~~
He should have been there sooner. She must have followed him after he left. This was his entire fault. He should have headed that way right when he originally heard the orcs.
He stole a glance over at the sleeping girl. She was beautiful. She would be well in a few days, but Legolas hated seeing people hurt, especially from orcs.
~~~
Linetta woke as the sun was dawning. Orange and pink rays streamed into the room. She was in a room. The thought startled her. It was déjà vu except she was not at home.
Her chest had dull sensation. It took her a couple moments to remember what happened.
She looked back over to the window. Silhouetted in the sunlight was Legolas. He was sitting relaxed in the doorway to a small porch.
***
Silently, he stood and walked over to the bed. He sat on the edge and her eyes fluttered open. They looked at him and she attempted a smile against the pain. His heart stopped. Her smile could torture a man.
"Good morning, Milady. I gather you slept well?"
"Thank you," she replied not answering his question. "Thank you for saving me."
"You're very welcome, Lady Linetta. I just wish I was there sooner."
"You came soon enough."
"Milady? Why did you follow me?"
She paused, as if to think of the answer, "Part of me told me not let you go. Did you mean what you said? When you left?"
The words floated back to his memory. "Yes, Milady. You are beautiful and I will never forget you."
"I don't want to forget you either," she whispered.
There was a quiet knock on the door and an elf appeared in the doorway. "Prince Legolas, you company is requested with the king."
Legolas acknowledged and stood up. "I will be back shortly," he said before following the maid out.
His father was in Legolas' quarters standing on the porch. He heard Legolas enter and turned to greet him.
"We were worried by your absence," he said.
"I am sorry, Father. I was too. Somehow, I found myself in another Age when I went for a walk in the wood."
"The stories can wait. I need to know about this woman you brought back. Who is she? She looks like one of our kind."
"I think she is, Father, but she does not know. She had a bracelet given to her at birth saying in elvish, 'That you may find peace on this new land. Then, find your way."
His father turned away and faced outside. "Interesting. Who gave it to her?"
Legolas joined him on the porch. "She thinks her birthparents, yet she does not know who they are. She grew up alone."
"I will look into this. I will also seek Gandalf to find how you were transferred to her Age, then both of you here. Until then, she will need her rest to recover."
"Thank you, Father," Legolas left to join Linetta once again.
When he arrived at Linetta's door, the maid was just leaving. She bowed slightly and scurried off. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped in.
She was in a white elven dress. Her hair had a few small braids in it. She was gorgeous and definitely an elf. There was no way a mortal could look that beautiful.
He stood there in the doorway just staring at her as she inspected her new dress. She moved and sat down on the bed, her hand on her lower chest and her face showing pain.
"Milady, you must lie down and get your rest," he told her as he walked towards her.
She turned to look at him and sighed, "Yes, I guess so. I am sorry I didn't believe you. I just don't understand how this is real."
"Apology accepted. I do not understand the book myself. Someone from your world must have followed us on our journey. I do not see how that is possible, but it must have been."
She looked at him and a small smile crept across her face. "I did not know you were a prince, Legolas." The smile faded. "Have I been treating you unroyal? Should I be bowing and saying, 'You're Majesty'?"
He laughed at her seriousness. "No. I did not tell you for a reason. I don't want you to think me as royalty. I wanted you to treat me as you do everyone else without the thought of being more courteous passing through your mind."
She didn't respond, but instead leaned back against the pillows on the bed. When she looked away from him and he wondered if he said something that insulted her.
"What is it, Milady?"
She closed her eyes. "When we met, you spoke of taking me here. Now I am here, what are you going to do to me?"
The question startled him. Did she not like it here?
He thought about the day they met. He felt horrible about it. He had almost killed her. He would give anything to go back and change her first impression of him. Remembering the way she followed him like the prisoner he made her made him flinch. He still had yet to apologize for that.
"I want to help you, Lady Linetta. You seemed in search of your past and I thought we could help you here. If you do not wish to stay I understand."
Although he did not understand. Why would she want to return to that odd world she lived in? Then it hit him, she may feel the same here as he felt in her home. He did not want her to go. He wanted her to stay forever. But he could not make her. It was her choice to be made.
~~~