Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Nope that belongs to Tolkien.
Ok, so I haven't updated in a while.. for the handful of people who actually read the story (yay! Good for you! I appreciate it!). I know the lack of reviews should not affect the lack of updates, but it does. But let me assure you that once I get to a certain spot, the chapters will come a lot faster (for a time anyway) because I have them already written. And for those of you who are begging me for Glorfindel to appear.. not in this chapter, but soon, I promise you! Just let me get them to Imladris!! Ok, onto the chapter!
Chapter 4: Misconceptions & Acceptance
As Nuelen disappeared down the path, Legolas turned to Iliana smiling mischievously. Attempting to avoid whatever was forming in his mind, Iliana moved towards the entrance into the hall. Sensing that he was not about to follow her, Iliana stopped but did not turn to face him.
"Ah, so you have been hiding something from me." He said, the merriment that crept into his voice was hard not to mistake.
"I know not what you are referring to." Iliana turned to face him.
"I know now that there *is* an elf-lad that has caught your fancy and it is none other than our own Nuelen."
"Is that so?" Iliana laughed at his mistake. "Well then I see that you have also been hiding something."
"Have I?" He questioned, a delicate eyebrow arching in confusion at this unexpected turn. "Please, enlighten me, for I fear I have been hiding it from myself as well."
"It seems that within that confident and allegedly intelligent head of yours lies a very silly and misguided mind." She smiled, enjoying the upper hand.
"I see not how these insults pertain to our current conversation." Legolas continued, his expression struggling not to look as confused as he felt was inside.
"Your assumption has proved itself to be false, once again." She explained, her smile growing. "That is twice in one night, I fear that it is now your senses are be becoming clouded."
"Then you are not taken with Nuelen?" He asked, the situation revealing itself to him. "And I will choose to ignore your latter comment, for I could reverse it quite easily." He added teasingly.
"Nay, Nuelen and I are merely friends who decided to seek solitude from the crowd within." Iliana confirmed. "And I thank you for your gracious reprieve, my lord." She leaned forward in an exaggerated and prolonged bow.
"Were you not wearing such a fine garment, I would knock you flat upon our back." Legolas warned.
"You are far too refined to resort to such childish-"
Her words were abruptly cut off when, with a wide sweep of his leg, Legolas kicked Iliana's legs out from under her. Even though she had expected such an action, Iliana was not quick enough to dodge the blow and found herself falling towards the ground. Just before she hit the ground, Iliana felt strong arms catch her and, as fast as she had fallen, she once again was upon solid ground. Looking at her attacker/savior, she shook her head and laughed.
"Childish, perhaps . . ." Legolas mused laughingly.
"But then, I would have it no other way." Iliana assured, offering her arm to him.
"Then that is how I shall remain." He took her arm as they began to leave the terrace.
"Valar have mercy upon Middle Earth." She teased.
"It is not Middle Earth that should be worried." Legolas returned with a gleam in his bright eyes.
* * * * * * *
They walked in silence through the trees towards Iliana's room. Legolas was unusually quiet and Iliana began to suspect that he knew more than he was letting on. Her dread rose steadily the closer that they got to her room.
"Iliana," Legolas said softly as they reached her room at last. She looked up at him and her heart dropped when she saw the serious look in his eyes. "Please, do not follow me tomorrow, I beg you."
Iliana opened her mouth to respond, but no words found their way out. She swallowed hard and willed herself to speak. "Please," was all that forced itself out in a choking sob.
"I cannot allow you to follow me." He asserted in a firm, but gentle voice. "I will not see you hurt."
"I can protect myself." She countered, her voice slowly returning. "You know that well. I have bested some of the most well trained warriors in our realm! I can fend for myself."
"Iliana, please. Do not make this hard for me."
"I do not wish to make it hard!" She cried. "It shall be easy if you only say yes."
"I know not why you would risk your life to-"
"I fear for you!" She interrupted sharply. As soon as the words left her lips she fell silent in shock at her own outburst. Looking up at him again she continued softly, tying hard to keep her emotions from spilling out. "I know it is silly to fear for your safety, but I do. Something tells me that you will not return when the Council is through."
"Iliana-"
"No, please listen." She stopped him. "You are as a brother to me. I will not loose you."
Legolas turned away from her, his shoulders slumped in sudden weariness. Iliana sighed as she gazed at him in growing despair. She knew he would forbid her to go and she would not be able to stand the sense of defeat. Felling her resolve crumble, she turned towards the door to her room, when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She stood unmoving for a moment and then turned her head to look up at Legolas.
"I know I will regret this." He said finally, with a trace of sadness in his voice.
"You cannot mean that-" Iliana started, her hand flying to her mouth in surprise. She could have laughed out loud if it were not for the look in his eyes. The look of fear shone brightly in his normally cheerful eyes. Unable to hold his piercing gaze, Iliana lowered her eyes. "You will not be sorry for your decision. I promise you that I will not be a burden in your company and that no harm shall come to me."
"Is it not I that should be making that promise?" He countered, a small smile gracing his lips, but falling short of his eyes.
"I will not have you feeling responsible for my well-being as well as your own and those of your company." She responded firmly. "You have enough to worry about as it is."
"In that you are right." He sighed. "Now, get some rest. We set out at first light tomorrow morning."
"I will be ready." She said softly. "But, mark my words, Prince of Mirkwood. If you so much as think you can leave without me, you better hope that Lord Elrond is as good a healer as they say he is."
Laughing lightly, he turned to go. Stopping a few feet away, he turned back and smiled up at her. "How is it that I am never able to turn you down?"
"It is part of my charm." Iliana replied cleverly. "And perhaps, my Lord, you are not as strong as you think you are. Consider me to be your one weakness."
"I believe you mean, my one flaw." He teased, ducking as a surprisingly large and heavy hair clip flew towards him.
(A/N: All right...that was a hard chapter to write.I just couldn't finish it {I'm to involved in writing the later part of the story.oops..}. Anyway, I'll try to be good about updates, if you wonderful people will update! Well, until then.)
Ok, so I haven't updated in a while.. for the handful of people who actually read the story (yay! Good for you! I appreciate it!). I know the lack of reviews should not affect the lack of updates, but it does. But let me assure you that once I get to a certain spot, the chapters will come a lot faster (for a time anyway) because I have them already written. And for those of you who are begging me for Glorfindel to appear.. not in this chapter, but soon, I promise you! Just let me get them to Imladris!! Ok, onto the chapter!
Chapter 4: Misconceptions & Acceptance
As Nuelen disappeared down the path, Legolas turned to Iliana smiling mischievously. Attempting to avoid whatever was forming in his mind, Iliana moved towards the entrance into the hall. Sensing that he was not about to follow her, Iliana stopped but did not turn to face him.
"Ah, so you have been hiding something from me." He said, the merriment that crept into his voice was hard not to mistake.
"I know not what you are referring to." Iliana turned to face him.
"I know now that there *is* an elf-lad that has caught your fancy and it is none other than our own Nuelen."
"Is that so?" Iliana laughed at his mistake. "Well then I see that you have also been hiding something."
"Have I?" He questioned, a delicate eyebrow arching in confusion at this unexpected turn. "Please, enlighten me, for I fear I have been hiding it from myself as well."
"It seems that within that confident and allegedly intelligent head of yours lies a very silly and misguided mind." She smiled, enjoying the upper hand.
"I see not how these insults pertain to our current conversation." Legolas continued, his expression struggling not to look as confused as he felt was inside.
"Your assumption has proved itself to be false, once again." She explained, her smile growing. "That is twice in one night, I fear that it is now your senses are be becoming clouded."
"Then you are not taken with Nuelen?" He asked, the situation revealing itself to him. "And I will choose to ignore your latter comment, for I could reverse it quite easily." He added teasingly.
"Nay, Nuelen and I are merely friends who decided to seek solitude from the crowd within." Iliana confirmed. "And I thank you for your gracious reprieve, my lord." She leaned forward in an exaggerated and prolonged bow.
"Were you not wearing such a fine garment, I would knock you flat upon our back." Legolas warned.
"You are far too refined to resort to such childish-"
Her words were abruptly cut off when, with a wide sweep of his leg, Legolas kicked Iliana's legs out from under her. Even though she had expected such an action, Iliana was not quick enough to dodge the blow and found herself falling towards the ground. Just before she hit the ground, Iliana felt strong arms catch her and, as fast as she had fallen, she once again was upon solid ground. Looking at her attacker/savior, she shook her head and laughed.
"Childish, perhaps . . ." Legolas mused laughingly.
"But then, I would have it no other way." Iliana assured, offering her arm to him.
"Then that is how I shall remain." He took her arm as they began to leave the terrace.
"Valar have mercy upon Middle Earth." She teased.
"It is not Middle Earth that should be worried." Legolas returned with a gleam in his bright eyes.
* * * * * * *
They walked in silence through the trees towards Iliana's room. Legolas was unusually quiet and Iliana began to suspect that he knew more than he was letting on. Her dread rose steadily the closer that they got to her room.
"Iliana," Legolas said softly as they reached her room at last. She looked up at him and her heart dropped when she saw the serious look in his eyes. "Please, do not follow me tomorrow, I beg you."
Iliana opened her mouth to respond, but no words found their way out. She swallowed hard and willed herself to speak. "Please," was all that forced itself out in a choking sob.
"I cannot allow you to follow me." He asserted in a firm, but gentle voice. "I will not see you hurt."
"I can protect myself." She countered, her voice slowly returning. "You know that well. I have bested some of the most well trained warriors in our realm! I can fend for myself."
"Iliana, please. Do not make this hard for me."
"I do not wish to make it hard!" She cried. "It shall be easy if you only say yes."
"I know not why you would risk your life to-"
"I fear for you!" She interrupted sharply. As soon as the words left her lips she fell silent in shock at her own outburst. Looking up at him again she continued softly, tying hard to keep her emotions from spilling out. "I know it is silly to fear for your safety, but I do. Something tells me that you will not return when the Council is through."
"Iliana-"
"No, please listen." She stopped him. "You are as a brother to me. I will not loose you."
Legolas turned away from her, his shoulders slumped in sudden weariness. Iliana sighed as she gazed at him in growing despair. She knew he would forbid her to go and she would not be able to stand the sense of defeat. Felling her resolve crumble, she turned towards the door to her room, when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She stood unmoving for a moment and then turned her head to look up at Legolas.
"I know I will regret this." He said finally, with a trace of sadness in his voice.
"You cannot mean that-" Iliana started, her hand flying to her mouth in surprise. She could have laughed out loud if it were not for the look in his eyes. The look of fear shone brightly in his normally cheerful eyes. Unable to hold his piercing gaze, Iliana lowered her eyes. "You will not be sorry for your decision. I promise you that I will not be a burden in your company and that no harm shall come to me."
"Is it not I that should be making that promise?" He countered, a small smile gracing his lips, but falling short of his eyes.
"I will not have you feeling responsible for my well-being as well as your own and those of your company." She responded firmly. "You have enough to worry about as it is."
"In that you are right." He sighed. "Now, get some rest. We set out at first light tomorrow morning."
"I will be ready." She said softly. "But, mark my words, Prince of Mirkwood. If you so much as think you can leave without me, you better hope that Lord Elrond is as good a healer as they say he is."
Laughing lightly, he turned to go. Stopping a few feet away, he turned back and smiled up at her. "How is it that I am never able to turn you down?"
"It is part of my charm." Iliana replied cleverly. "And perhaps, my Lord, you are not as strong as you think you are. Consider me to be your one weakness."
"I believe you mean, my one flaw." He teased, ducking as a surprisingly large and heavy hair clip flew towards him.
(A/N: All right...that was a hard chapter to write.I just couldn't finish it {I'm to involved in writing the later part of the story.oops..}. Anyway, I'll try to be good about updates, if you wonderful people will update! Well, until then.)