Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Please, please review. They are my fuel.
Been away from computer, sorry for the long draught of updates. I have rewritten half a chapter of Lord of Fire; also drafted the next chapter of Prince of Dreams. But since I have received an overwhelming amount of reviews for Never Been Kissed, I am switching gears and writing a new chapter of this fiction. See, reviews matter =)
Yulion quotes Shakespeare.... weird isn't it =)
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Chapter 18:
"I don't think your clothes will fit, Haldir," commented the Prince as he saw his friend went to the dresser to look for something dry for him to wear. The Lòrien archer was shorter and broader in built than the younger Elf. "Perhaps it will be better if I just go back to camp and change."
"Who said anything about my clothes," replied Haldir, removing a large pile of tunics, shirts and leggings from the wardrobe. Legolas would have wondered how his friend managed to fit all that into a single drawer, except that he was too busy being surprised to find almost his entire collection of court attire in Rivendell.
As the Guardian carefully spread out the variety of garments for inspection, the Prince finally found his tongue and asked, "Where did you get those?"
"Lothlòrien, of course. Have you forgotten that you have been using the private talen Lady Galadriel gave you as a storage facility for the nice things you wear on diplomatic missions?" replied Haldir, eyes still intent on the clothing before him, trying to remember which ones would suit his purpose most.
"I am not wearing any of these to the competition! Everyone already thinks I am effeminate. If they see me in formal attire, they will probably believe I am actually a maiden in disguise. There is no way you can make me do this!" exclaimed an agitated Legolas as he tried to flee towards the door.
But Haldir was a more experienced warrior. Before the Prince could make his escape, the Guardian of Lòrien seized the younger Elf's arm to stop him. "You want Aragorn to apologize, don't you?"
At that question, Legolas ceased his struggles to get free. He did want the Man to apologize for hurting his feelings. But the younger Elf could not see how what he wore would change Aragorn's mind. After all, the Man had not shown any signs of wanting to make things up to him. If anything, his commander had been giving him an angry glare for the entire week during practice.
The gentle arch in the Prince's eyebrows was enough to tell Haldir that though Legolas' attitude towards his scheme had softened, he remained doubtful of validity of his plans. Smiling now, the crafty Lòrien Elf continued, "Trust me, Legolas, your Man will come to you begging to be taken back once he sees you in your full glory. Besides, it will be distracting to the other Elves. That shall make winning the competition easier, I think."
Reluctantly, the younger Elf nodded. He knew Haldir was much more experienced than he was in the area of personal relationships. Legolas saw no harm in trusting his friend's judgment. If the Guardian was convinced the plan would work, the Prince was willing to give it a try. "I get a say in what I wear though."
"Sure thing, my friend," replied Haldir enthusiastically, before picking out a midnight blue velvet set.
The top was a loose v-neck pullover with flaring sleeves. Narrow golden vines, entwined to form an elegant pattern, decorated the sleeves and the hem. The matching leggings were simple, but formfitting. The Lòrien archer still remembered how delectable the Prince looked in this outfit. If Haldir liked males, he would be the first in line for his young friend's hand. The blue and gold complimented the coloring of Legolas' exquisite azure eyes and silken hair. The lower collar showcased the Elf's slender neck while offering a small glimpse of his flawless chest. His long, shapely limbs were on full display in the tight velvet leggings. The embroidered hem of the loose shirt floated flirtatiously just above Legolas' firm, round buttocks, drawing attention to the Prince's sensuous curves with each movement. "How about this one?"
"No, it's not comfortable to move around in. The leggings are too tight and the flowing sleeves will get in the way in the archery competition. I think I will just go with the plainer green one here," replied Legolas as he quickly grabbed the simplest of his court attire and tried to run into the bathing room. He was here as a spy; not drawing too much attention to himself would be a good thing.
"You are not getting away this easy," chuckled Haldir as he nimbly moved to block his young friend's way. "But, you do have a point about the sleeves. I think this ought to work though," continued the Lòrien Elf as he pointed to the outfit Legolas wore when dancing for the Lord and Lady of the Golden Woods.
The Prince found that for all his intellect, he could not find an argument against this outfit as it did not restrict his movements in any way. Grudgingly, Legolas took the shirt and leggings from the Lòrien Elf's hand before going to the bathing room to clean and change.
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Legolas walked into archery competition ten minutes late, hiding behind Haldir for cover. Now that he was on the field, the Prince could not remember why he allowed the Lòrien Elf to talk him into doing this. As the eyes of the twins were drawn to the latecomers, Elladan was about to chastise the blond recruit for being late. In fact, he was of a mind to disqualify Lasgalen for the tardiness; that was, of course, before the archer suddenly shifted away to reveal a golden angel in white and tan. Sensing his elder brother's jaw dropped, Elrohir turned to see what Elladan was staring at, only to be frozen in admiration of Lasgalen's beauty as well.
Aragorn, being the slowest of the three commanders, finally caught sight of his beloved Elf as the pair approached them. The Man decided that beautiful was not adequate to describe the vision before him. Lasgalen wore a simple shirt of white silk, which shimmered as the material caught the tender rays of the sun. The thin fabric clung to him sensuously, hinting at the perfection of the lithe, supple body it concealed. Silver wires, bent into small leaf-shaped clasps, replaced conventional buttons and ties at the front of the garment. The outfit was completed with leggings of amber suede, designed to highlight the attractive contours of Lasgalen's legs and bottom.
The overall effect was stunning; the elegant simplicity of the Elf's attire complimented and augmented his natural beauty and radiance. With lustrous hair of golden silk, exquisite sapphire eyes, delicately sculpted features, delectable rosy lips, completed with a shy expression that could melt a heart of stone, Lasgalen was undoubtedly the fairest creature to walk Middle Earth.
The Man decided that the first thing he would do after he regained his ability to move and speak was to drag his delectable Elf off to somewhere private, apologize before engaging in whatever indecent behavior his innocent beloved would permit. At this time, all the other recruits had also joined in a new appraisal of their outcast. Below was the excerpt of the thoughts of Yulion, taken to be representative of the other dreamy-eyed recruits:
Have my eyes deceived me? Or has an angel walked into our midst? Oh, please do not let this be a dream, for I cannot bear the thought of never seeing your fair countenance again. Oh, Lasgalen! God, nymph, perfect, divine! To what my love, should I compare thine eyes? Crystal is muddy. Oh, how ripe in show, thine lips, those kissing cherries tempting grow! ....
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Legolas cursed silently as his friend moved away from him and offered him to the judgmental stares of the camp. Mustering his courage, he walked towards his commanders to apologize for being late. It was all Haldir's fault, of course, since the Lòrien archer insisted that he took a full bath and washed his hair before changing. Not to mention, the older Elf was so fussy about his braids that after several failed attempts to meet Haldir's expectations, Legolas was forced to give up and allow the Guardian of Lòrien to restyle his golden mane. Honestly, who would be able to tell the difference between a herringbone braid and a three-stranded braid?
"Sorry, I am late."
The twins were still at a lost for words. Now they could understand why their foster brother wanted to break up with their sister. The light of Arwen Evenstar did not come close to comparing to the beauty speaking to them. Elrohir was the first to snap out of his stupor to remember that Lasgalen was not what he seemed. Aragorn was still mesmerized, staring with open desire at his Elf.
Now that he had seen Lasgalen in formal attire, the younger twin was certain the recruit was nobility. Since they knew everyone in Rivendell, Lasgalen must be from Lothlòrien or Mirkwood. But Elrohir was quite sure he had met most of the important Elves in the Golden Woods; he was the grandson of the Lord and Lady of Lòrien after all. This meant the beauty was a spy from Mirkwood. Since there was only one in Thranduil's Halls with brains, the Rivendell Elf was convinced the trainee was none other than Prince Legolas, the diplomat and tactical advisor of Mirkwood.
Now, all Elrohir needed was proof. This concerned not only his foster brother's happiness and survival, but also the pride of Imladris. He would expose Thranduil's spy and teach the young Elf a lesson in humility he would never forget; one could never go against the might of Rivendell and win. Forcing a calm smile, the younger twin replied, "It's alright. Get your gear and join the end of the line."
Legolas had enough experience reading people in his diplomatic missions to tell him that the younger twin suspected the truth and was plotting something. Considering the way Elrohir stared at him, the Rivendell Elf's answer to his apology was too quick and smooth. If the younger twin was in awe of his looks, he would have stammered and be a lot more eager. If Elrohir were completely unaffected, he would have been more antagonistic, giving Legolas a difficult time like he always did. But his Elven commander had given him a polite answer as an attempt to appear neutral; a reply designed to lure the Prince into lowering his guard. But the gesture was so blatant and amateurish that the tactical advisor of Mirkwood wondered if Elrohir had ever received diplomatic training.
Intrigues were a game that the Golden Elf excelled at; the younger son of Elrond was not on his level. Legolas knew Elrohir would target Haldir for information. His commander thought of Dwarves as inferior and would avoid contact with Gimli if possible. He would need to warn the Guardian of Lòrien; but he was certain his Elven friend could take care of himself. The archer was one tricky Elf.
But still, this complicated matters significantly. Legolas knew his carelessness and stupidity in all things concerning Aragorn was what allowed Elrohir to deduce his identity. He should never have agreed to dress in formal clothes to wow the Man; he knew how risky it was to draw so much attention to himself. Yet, his need to end his rift with Aragorn outweighed his senses and made him endanger his mission without thought. And for what? The Man still had not apologized; in fact, he had yet to say a word to Legolas ever since walking out on him the first night of special training. All his Human commander had done was stare at him, just like all the others! Perhaps, he was too naïve to think he could fulfill his mission as a spy and pursue personal happiness at the same time.
Legolas wondered if he would be forced to give up Aragorn to achieve his goals; the thought prompted an aching in his reckless heart, whose only wish was to be accepted and cherished by the Man he loved. So troubled was the Prince that he did not even realized some recruits were still on the field retrieving arrows when he fired his own.
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Luckily, it was Gimli who shared the same lane as the Prince. The arrow flew harmlessly above the Dwarf's head and embedded itself in the bulls-eye of the target. The young Elf's distraction was not lost on Haldir, who quickly grabbed Legolas' hand and called for a break before leading him away from the field. Gimli followed suit.
When the object of their desires were finally out of sight, the others began to recover from their awe-induced stupor, enough to realize that an accident had occurred and they were given a break. Elrohir considered tracking the Guardian of Lòrien, but decided against it for fear of giving away his knowledge too soon. He needed the trio to be unsuspecting for his ploy to work. Grabbing Elladan by the arm, the younger twin dragged him off the field to discuss their future strategy.
Aragorn was debating whether to follow his beloved Elf when he heard his foster brother's voice. "Stay here and keep an eye on everyone. It is only a short break and the competition will begin again shortly. Don't let anyone else leave the field."
The Man was of half a mind to go to Lasgalen anyway, but the fact that both Gimli and Haldir were with the Elf stopped him. It would be better for his pride if he did not have an audience during his apology. Besides, Aragorn knew that the other things that he wished to do with his student was definitely not for anyone else's eyes. He would remain here and wait until the end of the day.
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"I am so sorry, Gimli. I could have killed you!" exclaimed the Prince as he knelt before the Dwarf, encircling him in a tight embrace as tears began to flow.
"It's alright, lad. Dwarves are great warriors. If I thought your arrow would hit me, I would have dodged. Don't worry," comforted Gimli as he gruffly stroked Legolas' hair.
"That's not the point, Gimli. Legolas dressed up to distract others, not cause distraction to himself," commented Haldir, trying not to sound too judgmental. He knew his young friend must have a lot of worries on his mind to be so careless. The Prince was hardly the klutz he was two weeks ago.
"Elrohir knows," whispered Legolas as he gracefully rose to his feet after releasing his Dwarven friend from his arms.
"How?" asked two voices simultaneously.
"I knew he did not trust me; it showed in how the twins treated me before. He suspected something. And just now, he was deceptively nice. He knows," answered the Prince softly with deliberate calm. He did not want his friends to fear for him.
"What are you going to do?" asked Gimli, afraid that the Elven commander would expose his roommate and punish him. Dwarves never thought too much of Elves; for all Gimli knew, they might torture the Prince for espionage.
"Don't worry. I have this under control. At least, where the twins are concerned," replied Legolas with full confidence. He was a tactician after all; to this date, none had ever bested him in a competition of wits.
"Which leaves Aragorn," supplied Haldir, finally understanding his Elven friend's distraction on the field. When he noticed Legolas tilt his head down to look at his fidgeting fingers, the Lòrien archer knew he hit the mark with his comment. "You fear your reactions towards him, that your affections will overrun your mind, make you act rashly and jeopardize your mission."
"Lad, sometimes you just have to let go and trust your feelings. You cannot be in control all the time when you are in a relationship. If you can, you don't really love the Man. I know the timing cannot be worse, but love finds us when we least expect it, my friend," continued Gimli, patting the Prince's leg reassuringly.
Gimli could see that his friend and Human commander were completely in love with each other. Despite all Aragorn had done, the Dwarf still could not erase the scene of perfect bliss of the sleeping couple lying in each other's arms. Legolas and the Man looked as if they were made for each other; Gimli decided to help his commander one last time. But as soon as Aragorn apologized to the Elf, the Dwarf intended to have a long heart-to- heart talk with the Man on how to take care of his friend properly. He had no doubt Haldir wished to give the same lesson to the Human, but the archer would have to wait for his turn.
"But what if he doesn't love me as much as I love him? What if he finds out my secret and decides he will never forgive me?" muttered a doubtful Legolas with a frown. His friends' advice made sense to his heart, but his brain, used to being in complete control, was much harder to convince. The risks were so great; his mission, his heart and his entire future would be at stake. He wanted Aragorn, but he also wanted to prove to his family he could be a warrior. What if in his greediness to get both his heart's desires, he miscalculates and loses both instead.
"Love is a gamble, lad. No risk, no gain," replied Gimli bluntly. Playing relationship counselor was not his strongest suit. He much preferred killing Orcs or digging in the mines.
"Gimli is right on this. You will never know unless you try. Besides, even if you wish to, you won't be able to stop yourself from loving Aragorn," agreed the archer with a gentle smile. Legolas was a hopeless romantic, one of the last firm believers in a single true love. The Lòrien Elf knew his young friend had already given the Man his heart; it could not be taken back. Haldir was merely pointing out the obvious, which the Prince's rational side was still refusing to see. It was difficult for Legolas' brain to admit defeat and relinquish partial control to his heart after so many years of complete dominance.
Shaking his head with a small smile, Legolas stopped staring at his fingers and regarded his two friends. "You are right, as usual. I have already put my heart on the line the moment Aragorn kissed me. I just hope I won't lose this game."
Before turning back to the field, the Prince whispered in his Elven friend's ears, "Be careful. The twins will come after you for information." With the warning, Legolas began to walk back to the archery range, followed closely by Gimli.
As his two friends disappeared into a distance, Haldir finally relaxed and allowed his suppressed smirk of excitement to brighten his face. It would be fun, playing with the twins. Valar knew he needed the distraction from being the 'mature, compassionate and supportive' sidekick of his innocent Elven friend. He could hardly wait to set his darker, more mischievous, side loose on the unsuspecting sons of Elrond.
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"You are sure?" asked Elladan incredulously. He knew Thranduil was unhappy that none of the Mirkwood princes were elected commander of the Joint Army. But to send one of his own blood to pose as a lowly recruit just to keep an eye on their progress? The older twin had always thought the King would be too proud for such a thing. Besides, Prince Legolas was essential to Mirkwood, being the only one with intellect and eloquence in Thranduil's halls. The King could not possible be so reckless as to send his kingdom's most prized jewel away as a spy!
"I am positive. Intelligent, graceful, articulate yet shy at the same time; Lasgalen fits the description of the Golden Prince of Mirkwood perfectly. We just need proof before we bring this up with ada [Father]," replied Elrohir with full confidence.
"What do you suggest?" inquired the older twin. He could feel his brother's conviction; he would trust him this once.
"We will try to coax Haldir into talking," suggested the younger twin with a naughty smile.
"He likes females," pointed out Elladan, shaking his head at his little brother. Though he would admit, the Guardian of Lòrien was rather dashing with his white-blond hair, sculpted features and hazel green eyes. Not to mention those lean, well-toned muscles and full rosy lips. He definitely would not mind trying to seduce the archer at all.
"What if we get him slightly inebriated?" whispered Elrohir with gleaming eyes. He was already picturing the many different things he would like to do to a docile Haldir. He had fancied the archer for a long while, but he knew the Lòrien Elf was not receptive and had stayed away because of propriety issues. The Guardian was one of his grandmother's favorites. But now, he had the excuse of acting in the best interest of Rivendell. He did not see the harm in getting what he wanted out of his scheme to obtain proof of Legolas' identity.
Nodding in assent to his younger brother's plans, Elladan began to march back to the field. He just wanted to get this competition over with. His thoughts were now set on the much more interesting game of intrigue his brother planned. Soon, they would have the information they needed along with the pleasure of Haldir's company.
Please, please review. They are my fuel.
Been away from computer, sorry for the long draught of updates. I have rewritten half a chapter of Lord of Fire; also drafted the next chapter of Prince of Dreams. But since I have received an overwhelming amount of reviews for Never Been Kissed, I am switching gears and writing a new chapter of this fiction. See, reviews matter =)
Yulion quotes Shakespeare.... weird isn't it =)
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Chapter 18:
"I don't think your clothes will fit, Haldir," commented the Prince as he saw his friend went to the dresser to look for something dry for him to wear. The Lòrien archer was shorter and broader in built than the younger Elf. "Perhaps it will be better if I just go back to camp and change."
"Who said anything about my clothes," replied Haldir, removing a large pile of tunics, shirts and leggings from the wardrobe. Legolas would have wondered how his friend managed to fit all that into a single drawer, except that he was too busy being surprised to find almost his entire collection of court attire in Rivendell.
As the Guardian carefully spread out the variety of garments for inspection, the Prince finally found his tongue and asked, "Where did you get those?"
"Lothlòrien, of course. Have you forgotten that you have been using the private talen Lady Galadriel gave you as a storage facility for the nice things you wear on diplomatic missions?" replied Haldir, eyes still intent on the clothing before him, trying to remember which ones would suit his purpose most.
"I am not wearing any of these to the competition! Everyone already thinks I am effeminate. If they see me in formal attire, they will probably believe I am actually a maiden in disguise. There is no way you can make me do this!" exclaimed an agitated Legolas as he tried to flee towards the door.
But Haldir was a more experienced warrior. Before the Prince could make his escape, the Guardian of Lòrien seized the younger Elf's arm to stop him. "You want Aragorn to apologize, don't you?"
At that question, Legolas ceased his struggles to get free. He did want the Man to apologize for hurting his feelings. But the younger Elf could not see how what he wore would change Aragorn's mind. After all, the Man had not shown any signs of wanting to make things up to him. If anything, his commander had been giving him an angry glare for the entire week during practice.
The gentle arch in the Prince's eyebrows was enough to tell Haldir that though Legolas' attitude towards his scheme had softened, he remained doubtful of validity of his plans. Smiling now, the crafty Lòrien Elf continued, "Trust me, Legolas, your Man will come to you begging to be taken back once he sees you in your full glory. Besides, it will be distracting to the other Elves. That shall make winning the competition easier, I think."
Reluctantly, the younger Elf nodded. He knew Haldir was much more experienced than he was in the area of personal relationships. Legolas saw no harm in trusting his friend's judgment. If the Guardian was convinced the plan would work, the Prince was willing to give it a try. "I get a say in what I wear though."
"Sure thing, my friend," replied Haldir enthusiastically, before picking out a midnight blue velvet set.
The top was a loose v-neck pullover with flaring sleeves. Narrow golden vines, entwined to form an elegant pattern, decorated the sleeves and the hem. The matching leggings were simple, but formfitting. The Lòrien archer still remembered how delectable the Prince looked in this outfit. If Haldir liked males, he would be the first in line for his young friend's hand. The blue and gold complimented the coloring of Legolas' exquisite azure eyes and silken hair. The lower collar showcased the Elf's slender neck while offering a small glimpse of his flawless chest. His long, shapely limbs were on full display in the tight velvet leggings. The embroidered hem of the loose shirt floated flirtatiously just above Legolas' firm, round buttocks, drawing attention to the Prince's sensuous curves with each movement. "How about this one?"
"No, it's not comfortable to move around in. The leggings are too tight and the flowing sleeves will get in the way in the archery competition. I think I will just go with the plainer green one here," replied Legolas as he quickly grabbed the simplest of his court attire and tried to run into the bathing room. He was here as a spy; not drawing too much attention to himself would be a good thing.
"You are not getting away this easy," chuckled Haldir as he nimbly moved to block his young friend's way. "But, you do have a point about the sleeves. I think this ought to work though," continued the Lòrien Elf as he pointed to the outfit Legolas wore when dancing for the Lord and Lady of the Golden Woods.
The Prince found that for all his intellect, he could not find an argument against this outfit as it did not restrict his movements in any way. Grudgingly, Legolas took the shirt and leggings from the Lòrien Elf's hand before going to the bathing room to clean and change.
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Legolas walked into archery competition ten minutes late, hiding behind Haldir for cover. Now that he was on the field, the Prince could not remember why he allowed the Lòrien Elf to talk him into doing this. As the eyes of the twins were drawn to the latecomers, Elladan was about to chastise the blond recruit for being late. In fact, he was of a mind to disqualify Lasgalen for the tardiness; that was, of course, before the archer suddenly shifted away to reveal a golden angel in white and tan. Sensing his elder brother's jaw dropped, Elrohir turned to see what Elladan was staring at, only to be frozen in admiration of Lasgalen's beauty as well.
Aragorn, being the slowest of the three commanders, finally caught sight of his beloved Elf as the pair approached them. The Man decided that beautiful was not adequate to describe the vision before him. Lasgalen wore a simple shirt of white silk, which shimmered as the material caught the tender rays of the sun. The thin fabric clung to him sensuously, hinting at the perfection of the lithe, supple body it concealed. Silver wires, bent into small leaf-shaped clasps, replaced conventional buttons and ties at the front of the garment. The outfit was completed with leggings of amber suede, designed to highlight the attractive contours of Lasgalen's legs and bottom.
The overall effect was stunning; the elegant simplicity of the Elf's attire complimented and augmented his natural beauty and radiance. With lustrous hair of golden silk, exquisite sapphire eyes, delicately sculpted features, delectable rosy lips, completed with a shy expression that could melt a heart of stone, Lasgalen was undoubtedly the fairest creature to walk Middle Earth.
The Man decided that the first thing he would do after he regained his ability to move and speak was to drag his delectable Elf off to somewhere private, apologize before engaging in whatever indecent behavior his innocent beloved would permit. At this time, all the other recruits had also joined in a new appraisal of their outcast. Below was the excerpt of the thoughts of Yulion, taken to be representative of the other dreamy-eyed recruits:
Have my eyes deceived me? Or has an angel walked into our midst? Oh, please do not let this be a dream, for I cannot bear the thought of never seeing your fair countenance again. Oh, Lasgalen! God, nymph, perfect, divine! To what my love, should I compare thine eyes? Crystal is muddy. Oh, how ripe in show, thine lips, those kissing cherries tempting grow! ....
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Legolas cursed silently as his friend moved away from him and offered him to the judgmental stares of the camp. Mustering his courage, he walked towards his commanders to apologize for being late. It was all Haldir's fault, of course, since the Lòrien archer insisted that he took a full bath and washed his hair before changing. Not to mention, the older Elf was so fussy about his braids that after several failed attempts to meet Haldir's expectations, Legolas was forced to give up and allow the Guardian of Lòrien to restyle his golden mane. Honestly, who would be able to tell the difference between a herringbone braid and a three-stranded braid?
"Sorry, I am late."
The twins were still at a lost for words. Now they could understand why their foster brother wanted to break up with their sister. The light of Arwen Evenstar did not come close to comparing to the beauty speaking to them. Elrohir was the first to snap out of his stupor to remember that Lasgalen was not what he seemed. Aragorn was still mesmerized, staring with open desire at his Elf.
Now that he had seen Lasgalen in formal attire, the younger twin was certain the recruit was nobility. Since they knew everyone in Rivendell, Lasgalen must be from Lothlòrien or Mirkwood. But Elrohir was quite sure he had met most of the important Elves in the Golden Woods; he was the grandson of the Lord and Lady of Lòrien after all. This meant the beauty was a spy from Mirkwood. Since there was only one in Thranduil's Halls with brains, the Rivendell Elf was convinced the trainee was none other than Prince Legolas, the diplomat and tactical advisor of Mirkwood.
Now, all Elrohir needed was proof. This concerned not only his foster brother's happiness and survival, but also the pride of Imladris. He would expose Thranduil's spy and teach the young Elf a lesson in humility he would never forget; one could never go against the might of Rivendell and win. Forcing a calm smile, the younger twin replied, "It's alright. Get your gear and join the end of the line."
Legolas had enough experience reading people in his diplomatic missions to tell him that the younger twin suspected the truth and was plotting something. Considering the way Elrohir stared at him, the Rivendell Elf's answer to his apology was too quick and smooth. If the younger twin was in awe of his looks, he would have stammered and be a lot more eager. If Elrohir were completely unaffected, he would have been more antagonistic, giving Legolas a difficult time like he always did. But his Elven commander had given him a polite answer as an attempt to appear neutral; a reply designed to lure the Prince into lowering his guard. But the gesture was so blatant and amateurish that the tactical advisor of Mirkwood wondered if Elrohir had ever received diplomatic training.
Intrigues were a game that the Golden Elf excelled at; the younger son of Elrond was not on his level. Legolas knew Elrohir would target Haldir for information. His commander thought of Dwarves as inferior and would avoid contact with Gimli if possible. He would need to warn the Guardian of Lòrien; but he was certain his Elven friend could take care of himself. The archer was one tricky Elf.
But still, this complicated matters significantly. Legolas knew his carelessness and stupidity in all things concerning Aragorn was what allowed Elrohir to deduce his identity. He should never have agreed to dress in formal clothes to wow the Man; he knew how risky it was to draw so much attention to himself. Yet, his need to end his rift with Aragorn outweighed his senses and made him endanger his mission without thought. And for what? The Man still had not apologized; in fact, he had yet to say a word to Legolas ever since walking out on him the first night of special training. All his Human commander had done was stare at him, just like all the others! Perhaps, he was too naïve to think he could fulfill his mission as a spy and pursue personal happiness at the same time.
Legolas wondered if he would be forced to give up Aragorn to achieve his goals; the thought prompted an aching in his reckless heart, whose only wish was to be accepted and cherished by the Man he loved. So troubled was the Prince that he did not even realized some recruits were still on the field retrieving arrows when he fired his own.
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Luckily, it was Gimli who shared the same lane as the Prince. The arrow flew harmlessly above the Dwarf's head and embedded itself in the bulls-eye of the target. The young Elf's distraction was not lost on Haldir, who quickly grabbed Legolas' hand and called for a break before leading him away from the field. Gimli followed suit.
When the object of their desires were finally out of sight, the others began to recover from their awe-induced stupor, enough to realize that an accident had occurred and they were given a break. Elrohir considered tracking the Guardian of Lòrien, but decided against it for fear of giving away his knowledge too soon. He needed the trio to be unsuspecting for his ploy to work. Grabbing Elladan by the arm, the younger twin dragged him off the field to discuss their future strategy.
Aragorn was debating whether to follow his beloved Elf when he heard his foster brother's voice. "Stay here and keep an eye on everyone. It is only a short break and the competition will begin again shortly. Don't let anyone else leave the field."
The Man was of half a mind to go to Lasgalen anyway, but the fact that both Gimli and Haldir were with the Elf stopped him. It would be better for his pride if he did not have an audience during his apology. Besides, Aragorn knew that the other things that he wished to do with his student was definitely not for anyone else's eyes. He would remain here and wait until the end of the day.
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"I am so sorry, Gimli. I could have killed you!" exclaimed the Prince as he knelt before the Dwarf, encircling him in a tight embrace as tears began to flow.
"It's alright, lad. Dwarves are great warriors. If I thought your arrow would hit me, I would have dodged. Don't worry," comforted Gimli as he gruffly stroked Legolas' hair.
"That's not the point, Gimli. Legolas dressed up to distract others, not cause distraction to himself," commented Haldir, trying not to sound too judgmental. He knew his young friend must have a lot of worries on his mind to be so careless. The Prince was hardly the klutz he was two weeks ago.
"Elrohir knows," whispered Legolas as he gracefully rose to his feet after releasing his Dwarven friend from his arms.
"How?" asked two voices simultaneously.
"I knew he did not trust me; it showed in how the twins treated me before. He suspected something. And just now, he was deceptively nice. He knows," answered the Prince softly with deliberate calm. He did not want his friends to fear for him.
"What are you going to do?" asked Gimli, afraid that the Elven commander would expose his roommate and punish him. Dwarves never thought too much of Elves; for all Gimli knew, they might torture the Prince for espionage.
"Don't worry. I have this under control. At least, where the twins are concerned," replied Legolas with full confidence. He was a tactician after all; to this date, none had ever bested him in a competition of wits.
"Which leaves Aragorn," supplied Haldir, finally understanding his Elven friend's distraction on the field. When he noticed Legolas tilt his head down to look at his fidgeting fingers, the Lòrien archer knew he hit the mark with his comment. "You fear your reactions towards him, that your affections will overrun your mind, make you act rashly and jeopardize your mission."
"Lad, sometimes you just have to let go and trust your feelings. You cannot be in control all the time when you are in a relationship. If you can, you don't really love the Man. I know the timing cannot be worse, but love finds us when we least expect it, my friend," continued Gimli, patting the Prince's leg reassuringly.
Gimli could see that his friend and Human commander were completely in love with each other. Despite all Aragorn had done, the Dwarf still could not erase the scene of perfect bliss of the sleeping couple lying in each other's arms. Legolas and the Man looked as if they were made for each other; Gimli decided to help his commander one last time. But as soon as Aragorn apologized to the Elf, the Dwarf intended to have a long heart-to- heart talk with the Man on how to take care of his friend properly. He had no doubt Haldir wished to give the same lesson to the Human, but the archer would have to wait for his turn.
"But what if he doesn't love me as much as I love him? What if he finds out my secret and decides he will never forgive me?" muttered a doubtful Legolas with a frown. His friends' advice made sense to his heart, but his brain, used to being in complete control, was much harder to convince. The risks were so great; his mission, his heart and his entire future would be at stake. He wanted Aragorn, but he also wanted to prove to his family he could be a warrior. What if in his greediness to get both his heart's desires, he miscalculates and loses both instead.
"Love is a gamble, lad. No risk, no gain," replied Gimli bluntly. Playing relationship counselor was not his strongest suit. He much preferred killing Orcs or digging in the mines.
"Gimli is right on this. You will never know unless you try. Besides, even if you wish to, you won't be able to stop yourself from loving Aragorn," agreed the archer with a gentle smile. Legolas was a hopeless romantic, one of the last firm believers in a single true love. The Lòrien Elf knew his young friend had already given the Man his heart; it could not be taken back. Haldir was merely pointing out the obvious, which the Prince's rational side was still refusing to see. It was difficult for Legolas' brain to admit defeat and relinquish partial control to his heart after so many years of complete dominance.
Shaking his head with a small smile, Legolas stopped staring at his fingers and regarded his two friends. "You are right, as usual. I have already put my heart on the line the moment Aragorn kissed me. I just hope I won't lose this game."
Before turning back to the field, the Prince whispered in his Elven friend's ears, "Be careful. The twins will come after you for information." With the warning, Legolas began to walk back to the archery range, followed closely by Gimli.
As his two friends disappeared into a distance, Haldir finally relaxed and allowed his suppressed smirk of excitement to brighten his face. It would be fun, playing with the twins. Valar knew he needed the distraction from being the 'mature, compassionate and supportive' sidekick of his innocent Elven friend. He could hardly wait to set his darker, more mischievous, side loose on the unsuspecting sons of Elrond.
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"You are sure?" asked Elladan incredulously. He knew Thranduil was unhappy that none of the Mirkwood princes were elected commander of the Joint Army. But to send one of his own blood to pose as a lowly recruit just to keep an eye on their progress? The older twin had always thought the King would be too proud for such a thing. Besides, Prince Legolas was essential to Mirkwood, being the only one with intellect and eloquence in Thranduil's halls. The King could not possible be so reckless as to send his kingdom's most prized jewel away as a spy!
"I am positive. Intelligent, graceful, articulate yet shy at the same time; Lasgalen fits the description of the Golden Prince of Mirkwood perfectly. We just need proof before we bring this up with ada [Father]," replied Elrohir with full confidence.
"What do you suggest?" inquired the older twin. He could feel his brother's conviction; he would trust him this once.
"We will try to coax Haldir into talking," suggested the younger twin with a naughty smile.
"He likes females," pointed out Elladan, shaking his head at his little brother. Though he would admit, the Guardian of Lòrien was rather dashing with his white-blond hair, sculpted features and hazel green eyes. Not to mention those lean, well-toned muscles and full rosy lips. He definitely would not mind trying to seduce the archer at all.
"What if we get him slightly inebriated?" whispered Elrohir with gleaming eyes. He was already picturing the many different things he would like to do to a docile Haldir. He had fancied the archer for a long while, but he knew the Lòrien Elf was not receptive and had stayed away because of propriety issues. The Guardian was one of his grandmother's favorites. But now, he had the excuse of acting in the best interest of Rivendell. He did not see the harm in getting what he wanted out of his scheme to obtain proof of Legolas' identity.
Nodding in assent to his younger brother's plans, Elladan began to march back to the field. He just wanted to get this competition over with. His thoughts were now set on the much more interesting game of intrigue his brother planned. Soon, they would have the information they needed along with the pleasure of Haldir's company.