Title: First Sight
Chapter: 3: Seeing is Not Believing
Author: Alkalphiel and The Scribe
Summary: You know the drill.
Feedback: Yes, please! Post reviews or email alkalphiel@yahoo.com
A/N: The Scribe: Hey, I'm just a student. I barely own this computer. LotR is certainly not mine.
Alkalphiel: And my story continues. Please review!
~*~
It was like lightning striking a tree. It was like finding something I'd never known was lost. It was stepping into a warm home after being out in a rainstorm. It was being wrapped in a warm blanket and falling and catching and being caught all at the same time.
And it was all wrong.
I felt my eyes widen and hoped that Prince Legolas would attribute it to simple shock at such proximity to royalty. For my part, I knew what was going on - my heart was deceiving itself again, reacting to the prince as it should react only to my soul mate. I already knew from the encounter with Quellepaural that my heart was not to be trusted. Despite my doubt, it sang out all the more strongly as I gazed into Prince Legolas' eyes. Silently I prayed to Iluvitar - Don't let him feel this. Please do not let Prince Legolas be twisted into this mistake.
"Are you all right, fair maiden? Pardon me, for I did not catch your name." The prince was in full courtly form, and for that added emotional distance I was grateful.
"My name is Alkalphiel, your Highness. I am the daughter of Himquárëion. And I am well, thank you."
"I am glad to hear that you are well, Alkalphiel. I am Legolas, son of Thranduil. Come, let us get you a clean gown." Prince Legolas smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. As if he really needed to introduce himself! I knew full well who he was.
"Thank you, my lord. But that is not necessary. I was just leaving . . . ."
"Nonsense. I insist."
And that was all there was to it. The prince half-dragged me off down a side hall, stopping a servant to request a clean gown for me. We stopped in a finely furnished room - guest quarters for visiting nobles, I surmised. I turned to the prince to thank him again for his attentions, expecting to be left alone at last. "Thank you again, Prince Legolas, for all -"
He held up a hand. "Please. Just Legolas." Again that half-smile.
"Legolas then. Thank you for your aid. I'm sure you must be returning to the celebrations -"
Legolas raised his hand again. It seemed that I was not allowed to finish my thoughts. "Lady Alkalphiel, I -"
I couldn't help myself. Grinning broadly, I held up my hand. "Please. Just Alkalphiel."
Legolas returned my smile. "Alkalphiel. It would be my pleasure to wait with you until the servant arrives with a new gown for you. I will, of course, have this one cleaned and delivered to your home. For now, I would see you dressed finely as a elf maiden deserves. And then, I believe I owe you a dance." His eyes twinkled, and I squashed the part of me that cooed in infatuation.
"Legolas, no. There is no need. You have already treated me far better than I deserve."
"Alkalphiel, yes, I do owe you a dance. Also, I must speak to you about an urgent matter, and since you seem so eager to be rid of me we must speak now."
I turned away from him and sighed yet again. He had been snared, through no fault of his own, and I would have to unsnare him. Although I didn't know how . . . .
"I am puzzled, I must admit. How is it that you do not feel this as well? Alkalphiel, I believe you are my soul mate and my heart sings to have found you. Alkalphiel?"
It was getting harder to squash the part of me that cried out for him, but I knew I must. Turning back to Legolas, I said what felt like the hardest words of my life. "My lord, you have been deceived. Not willingly, true, but deceived nevertheless. There is something . . . wrong about me. Something that tricks others - aye, and myself - into believing that the life bond has at last been forged and found. But it is wrong. Your Highness, this has happened before and although I would not relive it, I shall if that is what is necessary. You must believe me when I tell you that my heart lies to yours. These feelings will pass, and the sooner you leave me, the sooner it will be over."
Legolas - no, Prince Legolas - looked at me in horror. "How is this possible? A false version of our most sacred bond? Is this something that you will?"
"No, my lord." I could no longer look him in the eye. "I do not will it. This has brought me nothing but pain and grief. I am capable of being truly happy on my own, and I believe that is my fate. I think I have no soul mate. Please, your Highness, it was never my wish to do this to you. Forgive me." A single tear slipped down my cheek as I turned away. Even knowing what I knew, this was not easy.
"I am sorry, my lady, but I must know of this. Please, will you tell me of your past experiences?"
I made my face as stoic as possible, hiding my emotions even from most other elves. Only those who knew me well would see the hurt in my eyes, and despite the prince's current entanglement with me, he would not see it. As coldly as possible, I told the story of my meeting and day with Quellepaural. I tried to convince the prince that this was an old tale, long set apart from my being and perhaps only the first of many such mistakes.
Prince Legolas bought none of it. "This was recent?"
I could only nod.
"Quellepaural. He is one of the guardsman, is he not?"
Again, I only nodded.
"Hmm. . . . I must leave you now. You will be seen to, and we will speak before this night is out." With that, Prince Legolas swept out of the room. Even his walk was regal and graceful, and my heart cried out for him again. I silenced it as brutally as I could, but not before I saw the prince turn back and give me a last, thoughtful look.
Chapter: 3: Seeing is Not Believing
Author: Alkalphiel and The Scribe
Summary: You know the drill.
Feedback: Yes, please! Post reviews or email alkalphiel@yahoo.com
A/N: The Scribe: Hey, I'm just a student. I barely own this computer. LotR is certainly not mine.
Alkalphiel: And my story continues. Please review!
~*~
It was like lightning striking a tree. It was like finding something I'd never known was lost. It was stepping into a warm home after being out in a rainstorm. It was being wrapped in a warm blanket and falling and catching and being caught all at the same time.
And it was all wrong.
I felt my eyes widen and hoped that Prince Legolas would attribute it to simple shock at such proximity to royalty. For my part, I knew what was going on - my heart was deceiving itself again, reacting to the prince as it should react only to my soul mate. I already knew from the encounter with Quellepaural that my heart was not to be trusted. Despite my doubt, it sang out all the more strongly as I gazed into Prince Legolas' eyes. Silently I prayed to Iluvitar - Don't let him feel this. Please do not let Prince Legolas be twisted into this mistake.
"Are you all right, fair maiden? Pardon me, for I did not catch your name." The prince was in full courtly form, and for that added emotional distance I was grateful.
"My name is Alkalphiel, your Highness. I am the daughter of Himquárëion. And I am well, thank you."
"I am glad to hear that you are well, Alkalphiel. I am Legolas, son of Thranduil. Come, let us get you a clean gown." Prince Legolas smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. As if he really needed to introduce himself! I knew full well who he was.
"Thank you, my lord. But that is not necessary. I was just leaving . . . ."
"Nonsense. I insist."
And that was all there was to it. The prince half-dragged me off down a side hall, stopping a servant to request a clean gown for me. We stopped in a finely furnished room - guest quarters for visiting nobles, I surmised. I turned to the prince to thank him again for his attentions, expecting to be left alone at last. "Thank you again, Prince Legolas, for all -"
He held up a hand. "Please. Just Legolas." Again that half-smile.
"Legolas then. Thank you for your aid. I'm sure you must be returning to the celebrations -"
Legolas raised his hand again. It seemed that I was not allowed to finish my thoughts. "Lady Alkalphiel, I -"
I couldn't help myself. Grinning broadly, I held up my hand. "Please. Just Alkalphiel."
Legolas returned my smile. "Alkalphiel. It would be my pleasure to wait with you until the servant arrives with a new gown for you. I will, of course, have this one cleaned and delivered to your home. For now, I would see you dressed finely as a elf maiden deserves. And then, I believe I owe you a dance." His eyes twinkled, and I squashed the part of me that cooed in infatuation.
"Legolas, no. There is no need. You have already treated me far better than I deserve."
"Alkalphiel, yes, I do owe you a dance. Also, I must speak to you about an urgent matter, and since you seem so eager to be rid of me we must speak now."
I turned away from him and sighed yet again. He had been snared, through no fault of his own, and I would have to unsnare him. Although I didn't know how . . . .
"I am puzzled, I must admit. How is it that you do not feel this as well? Alkalphiel, I believe you are my soul mate and my heart sings to have found you. Alkalphiel?"
It was getting harder to squash the part of me that cried out for him, but I knew I must. Turning back to Legolas, I said what felt like the hardest words of my life. "My lord, you have been deceived. Not willingly, true, but deceived nevertheless. There is something . . . wrong about me. Something that tricks others - aye, and myself - into believing that the life bond has at last been forged and found. But it is wrong. Your Highness, this has happened before and although I would not relive it, I shall if that is what is necessary. You must believe me when I tell you that my heart lies to yours. These feelings will pass, and the sooner you leave me, the sooner it will be over."
Legolas - no, Prince Legolas - looked at me in horror. "How is this possible? A false version of our most sacred bond? Is this something that you will?"
"No, my lord." I could no longer look him in the eye. "I do not will it. This has brought me nothing but pain and grief. I am capable of being truly happy on my own, and I believe that is my fate. I think I have no soul mate. Please, your Highness, it was never my wish to do this to you. Forgive me." A single tear slipped down my cheek as I turned away. Even knowing what I knew, this was not easy.
"I am sorry, my lady, but I must know of this. Please, will you tell me of your past experiences?"
I made my face as stoic as possible, hiding my emotions even from most other elves. Only those who knew me well would see the hurt in my eyes, and despite the prince's current entanglement with me, he would not see it. As coldly as possible, I told the story of my meeting and day with Quellepaural. I tried to convince the prince that this was an old tale, long set apart from my being and perhaps only the first of many such mistakes.
Prince Legolas bought none of it. "This was recent?"
I could only nod.
"Quellepaural. He is one of the guardsman, is he not?"
Again, I only nodded.
"Hmm. . . . I must leave you now. You will be seen to, and we will speak before this night is out." With that, Prince Legolas swept out of the room. Even his walk was regal and graceful, and my heart cried out for him again. I silenced it as brutally as I could, but not before I saw the prince turn back and give me a last, thoughtful look.