A/N: hey ppl, just wanted to say I don't like Christina Aguilera one bit but I like that part of her song so I just put it in. anyway, I want to remind you all once again that this story does have a happy ending ok!! Bye!!



Legolas sat quietly on the ground, his back leaning on the fountain. He watched the stars intensely, "The stars are faded tonight" he whispered to himself. He tried hard to block out the events of the night from his mind but couldn't help thinking about what his father had told him.









After Lara had convinced him to come back with her to the palace, he cleaned himself up and then was summoned to speak with his father in the conference room. There his father questioned him about the mysterious girl from the ball but Legolas didn't dare tell him what happened. 'I have read the letter' the king had said, 'I know what happened'





Legolas became furious and shouted 'how dare you invade my privacy! You have no right to!'





'I have every right to. You are my son and the future king. Everything in your life concerns me!' the King snapped back then after a while, he said 'it is just as well that she has gone. You still have till the end of the year to choose a bride'





'I will not!' Legolas yelled





'You will do as I say!' the King yelled back.





Legolas suddenly felt trapped and clutching his chest began panting. The king rushed to his side and said 'what is the matter my son?'





'Why do you like to torture me so? What have I done to you? I only want to be happy!' Legolas said on the point of tears.





A wave of guilt hit the King and he too was on the point of tears for his ill treatment of his son. 'I am sorry my son, I just want what is best for you. I am your father', he said, 'You will never know how much I love you and how much I want you to be happy'. He paused for a moment and then said, 'She is out of your life for a reason, Legolas. Now look to the future. You might find that your true love is right in front of your eyes'. He looked out the window and Legolas followed his gaze to see Adelaide walking passed the window. He turned back to his father and walked out of the room, then went for a walk in the garden.









Legolas came back to reality again. In the distance, he could see Adelaide walking up the tree lined path toward him. She came and sat beside him.





He was in no mood for petty conversation but after a while, he reluctantly turned toward her. He could see that she had been crying.





"What has happened?" he inquired apathetically.





"Banquo doesn't want me. I went to see him at his house and he told me that he no longer cares for me" she said bitterly.





There was a lengthy silence in which they did not take their eyes off each other. Legolas thought it impossible that such a thing could happen for he knew exactly how much Banquo adored Adelaide. He suddenly started to feel guilty, realising how little time he had spent with Banquo and Adelaide since Layla came into his life. He had not been there for either of them, his best friends. But he had a feeling that his father and aunt Versa had something to do with what happened between them. He said nothing of it. Instead he said, "Then it seems we have both been abandoned" and turned his face back to the sky.





"What do you mean? What of Layla?"





"She has a duty to fulfil, a life to lead and I am not part of it" he said resentfully





"I see" Adelaide said softly.





At that moment, Legolas felt closer to Adelaide than ever before. The expression on her face told him that she felt the pain inside him. "How will we survive it?" he asked, his eyes pleading for an answer.





"As your father said, we must move on" she said steadily.





"You are right" he whispered and led her to his room.