DISCLAIMER: OTHER THAN LORIEN, I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY, THEY ALL BELONG TO THE FANTASTICALLY TALENTED J.R.R. TOLKIEN AND I HAVE MERELY BORROWED THEM FOR THE SAKE OF A STORY. I, MYSELF, COULD NOT COME UP WITH A STORY SUCH AS LORD OF THE RINGS OR CREATE ANY OF THE CHARACTERS WITHIN THESE STORIES, SO I DO NOT PRETEND TO OWN ANY OF THEM. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE STORY AND AGAIN, ONLY LORIEN IS MY CHARACTER.

Lorien fell silent as she entered her homeland. She had never seen Lothlorien with her own eyes before and had to make do of stories told to her by Gandalf and her father. It was a beautiful place and was currently in autumn season. The leaves were golden in the trees and there lay a golden path before the feet of the company. Lorien sighed and then began to sing softly. The others seemed to be listening to her soft voice as they walked and soon Legolas was singing in response. Aragorn looked at the pair and smiled softly at Lorien, who smiled back. Keeping in tune and singing in elvish, Lorien sang

'Your lady bids me to tell you that she still loves you. Your absence breaks her heart but she understands your mission and cannot wait for the day when you shall both be together again.' Aragorn nodded in response and added

'Your lover could never not manage to utter your name but once, everyday whilst you were apart.' Lorien smiled and turned her head to look at Legolas. He was looking straight ahead, as if he had not heard anything and Lorien knew that this was because he was embarrassed. Whilst they had faced such a loss as that of Gandalf, the land of Lothlorien seemed to brighten their spirits. That was, until suddenly, they were surrounded by elves, all of which brandished a bow and arrow, ready to be fired at the first one who spoke out of turn.

'Halt, who trespasses on these secret lands?'

'Nine travellers who seek peace and comfort before they continue on their journey.' Aragorn replied.

'We must know your names.'

'I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn and leader of this group, although I did not wish to carry such a burden. Then there are four hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin. There is a dwarf, Gimli, son of Gloin and two elves. Legolas, prince of Mirkwood and the lady, I believe is one of your own, Lorien of, for the time being, Gondor.' Suddenly all the elves dropped their bows and walked into view. There they stood, staring at Lorien.

'Lady Lorien, our lost princess, the lost elf. We thought you were but a mere myth, but here you are, before our very eyes and exactly as how they described you. Tell me, what are you doing with such a queer group of strangers and how could you bring a dwarf into these parts?'

'Forgive me, but these queer group of strangers are my dear friends and the dwarf is among them. He means you no harm and is a dangerous to you as I could be. Now, will you take us to see my queen?'

'Your queen is your grandmother.'

'I know that, but I also know it has been a long time since I have called her grandmother. Will you take us?'

'Only if the dwarf is blindfolded.'

'Why is it only I who should be blindfolded?'

'Because my people are slightly backward when it comes to the outside world and they trust no one, forgive them Gimli. If he must be blindfolded, then I too shall be blindfolded.'

'But my lady, you are one of us, we cannot blindfold you!'

'You have no right to call me your lady, only my dear Legolas has that privilege and I shall not allow you to single out Gimli. If you blindfold him, I shall be bounded by my eyes as well.'

'And if you blindfold my lady, I too shall have to be blindfolded.' Legolas replied and one by one, the rest of the fellowship also spared their eyesight. The elves led them carefully through the woods and it felt like an eternity before they came to a halt. Their blindfolds were removed and each in turn blinked whilst their eyes adjusted to the pale white light shining around them.

'Our queen awaits you, it has been too long since she has seen her granddaughter.'

Lorien and the rest of the fellowship followed the elf up to the treetops where they were greeted by the most beautiful sight. There, Lady Galadriel sat with her husband of many ages, Lord Celeborn. They waited for the company to stop before Galadriel spoke.

'Lorien, you have returned home at last. It has been a long time since we have seen you, yet I knew you were safe. You have your mother's beauty and your father's courage. Tell me, what brings you here with such odd company.'

'Forgive me grandmother, for I am pleased to see you and be home at last, but our business is our own and we cannot speak of it openly.'

'Yet you have brought great danger to our land? The great beasts of the dark have followed you here and are searching through our precious land.'

'Again, I ask you to forgive me, but our business is too dangerous to speak of openly.'

'What has happened my dear? There should be another of you. Where is Gandalf?'

'He, he fell, in the mines of Moria. There was nothing any of us could do. He tried to take on the monster of fire on his own.'

'This is news to break any heart. Are you sure that Gandalf is lost forever?'

'He fell into the abyss grandmother.'

'We shall see. Now, tell me, why have you stayed away for so long? And since when have you been in love?'

'I have kept away for so long because my father was worried of the great shadow looming over us all. As for being in love, it has been since the day I met Legolas, but that is his and my business, no one else's!'

'May all the birds sing with happiness, you have your grandmother's stubbornness as well as your mother's beauty.' Celeborn retorted.

'She also gained my ability to see things others don't, she can see what will happen in the immediate future. But fear flows through your heart, and it is fear that drove you into the mines of Moria to help the one you dearly love. That is a lesson I am still trying to learn myself. Tell me, Legolas, do you mean well by my granddaughter?' Legolas looked shocked and surprised by Galadriel's question and Lorien and Celeborn laughed.

'Forgive my grandmother Legolas, she often does this. Galadriel is playing with your mind and means no harm, she can clearly see that you mean no harm.'

'That I can my dear Lorien. Now, I think that some food, drink and music is in order, for we have waited a long time for your return and maybe, with the news you have, Lothlorien won't be in the danger it is now.'

'What danger is Lorien in Grandmother?'

'The first-born are growing old and are no longer in the spring or summertime of their lives. You and Legolas are in your springtime and it pleases me beyond belief that you have fallen for an elf!'

'It would not matter if Legolas was elf, or man, or dwarf, I would still love him dearly.'

'Yes my dear, but do you not agree that it makes it easier when your lover is easy on the eye?' The company laughed when Galadriel asked Lorien this question and Lorien herself could not help laughing. The company were led to a table filled with the most delicious food they had ever laid eyes on. Soon the company were relaxing and laughing and singing along with the other elves. Soon Lorien saw her opportunity and pulled Legolas to peace and quiet.

'What is it my love?'

'Nothing, I just wanted to look upon you with no sound around to disturb us. You cannot ever know how much I have missed you.'

'I can guess, for I guess that I have missed you just as much, if not more. If my quest weren't so important, I would have left the company many leagues before we reached Moria and I would have returned to Rivendale. But tell me, what is it that fills Galadriel with such hope?' Lorien took a deep breath and took Legolas's hand and placed it gently on her heart. Legolas looked into Lorien's eyes.

'My grandmother is glad; I have fallen for an elf that is still young by all accounts. The first born, as she has said are growing old, yet she sees hope in our love, hope that the elves can be saved yet.'

'You do not know how this fills me with such joy, to hear you say that you love me and to hear you say that you are willing to spend the rest of eternity with me. Now I know why you came to Moria!'

'I could not bear to see you lost forever in that dreadful place. I vowed from the minute I met you that I would love you. I will be by your side through good and evil and I am prepared to die by your side if I must! Forgive me for sounding so selfish, but I need you!'

'Forgive you? I never blamed you in the first place. If the truth were told, I was glad to see you. That may make me selfish, seeing as you could have been killed before you reached Moria, but I have witnessed that you are more than capable with a sword and arrow. I understand the sword, your father is a great swordsman, but what with the arrows?'

'You taught me, remember? When you visited Gondor. After to you left, I used to practise all the time. You are a good teacher Legolas and one day, you shall teach our children all the tricks you know.'

'I am so happy; yet, I will have to leave you again, and soon. I want to be with you.'

'I shall be safe here, in Lothlorien. I know I shall. But for the time being, I wondered, would you consider, giving yourself to me for all eternity?'

'Yes!'

'You will bind yourself to me, never to love another and we can live our lives together until middle earth is no more and a new land has been forged? Whatever happens?'

'Yes.'

'Celeborn, grandfather, you agreed that you would carry out the ceremony.' Lorien and Legolas turned to face Celeborn.

'I did indeed agree to carry out the ceremony if Legolas agreed. Do you wish to be eternalised to my granddaughter?'

'Yes, your majesty, I do!'

'Very well.'

Celeborn began to recite the ceremony in elvish and soon the romantic couple were engrossed in the ceremony.

'Repeat these words as you, Legolas, give Lorien this ring. One ring to bind our love, one ring to prove our love, one love that is for no other and one ring to entwine our love for all of our eternity.' Legolas repeated the rhyme, as then did Lorien.

    From a distance, Aragorn watched the happy pair and smiled sadly to himself. He was in love with Arwen, Lorien's cousin and he desperately wanted to be able to give himself to her like Legolas was able to give himself to Lorien. However, it would never be possible. Arwen was an elf and even if she gave him her immortality in return for his love, she would still live many a lifetime after his legend had passed and he had become but a mere myth of middle earth, a story that would be told to young children in the dead of night. Also, he knew that the people of Gondor would not accept an elf as their queen. They had not known that Lorien was an elf and if they had, they would have run her out of Gondor. It wasn't as much a case as hatred as mistrust had driven a rift between the two countries and that was a shame, for at one moment in time, they had been close and had forged the armies that defeated Sauron when he first emerged. Aragorn's attention turned back to the two young elven lovers who had just dedicated themselves to each other. Legolas was almost 2000 years old, but they said he was in the springtime of his life. Lorien wasn't nearly that old, a couple of hundred years old if anything. She was but a mere child compared to Legolas, but neither cared much. They were in love and when one is in love, everything is thrown to the wind and not a care is given to anything else. Aragorn knew that Legolas was reaching the summertime of his life, the time of his life when he should be at his best. Aragorn also knew that no matter how old Legolas and how relatively young Lorien was, they would go on to have many a lifetime together and he envied that more than anything either had to offer. As the pair kissed, Aragorn left them and went back to the company.

'Thank you, your majesty.' Legolas replied in Elvish.

'Please, call me Celeborn from now on, for, you are family, are you not?'

'I am now!'

'Well then.'

'Now, you two must get some rest. It has been a long and weary road for both of you.'

'We will go and rest now grandfather.'

'Hmm, somehow I don't believe you. Anyway, I bid you goodnight!'