Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Please, please review.
Author's note: A sincere apology to any reader who was unhappy with the last chapter. Received a review that pointed out it contains adult themes that were used as a joke, namely Elrohir's intentions. Frankly, I did not expect it to be taken seriously. With this fiction, I just start writing a chapter and see what comes out. Save for a few elements I must go through, everything depends on my state of mind. Which is why a 'short story' had turned out to be this long =)
But anyway, yesterday was a day when I should not be writing humor since I was in a sick and twisted mood while my mind was still in the gutter. Though I can say with a clear conscious that I will never allow any of my characters to be violated without their consent, I am still really sorry if anyone is offended.
I think I will stay with a short chapter of mushy stuff and Aragorn torturing instead. Not funny at all. Accelerated the storyline, since this fiction is getting a bit long =)
************************************************************************
Chapter 20:
Legolas was feeling an urge to hurt Haldir for convincing him to wear his formal clothes to the competition. The young Elf was very tired from the long day and wished for nothing more than a soothing bath and a warm bed, with the exception of speaking to Aragorn before sleeping, of course. But now, he could have neither of those things as most of the recruits were lurking in the bathing rooms, wanting to catch a glimpse of him in the nude. The rest of them were staking out his room, in case he forwent the bath and decided to change there instead. So it was that the Prince was forced to wander the forests of Rivendell aimlessly; waiting for the crowd to disperse before returning to his quiet life.
It was under these trees that Aragorn found his beloved. He had gone into the woods to look for inspiration to compose a love poem for his beautiful Elf. The Man wanted the night to be perfect; he wanted to outdo himself in all his previous romances. Lasgalen was special; the Elf deserved the very best he had to offer. But all thoughts were forgotten when he encountered the golden beauty, glowing gently in the pale moonlight. The Elf still wore the same clothes he did at the competition, a vision in white and amber. He wore an unguarded expression as he moved gracefully along the winding paths, an angel about to re-enter the world of dreams. The Man swore he had never seen a more breathtaking sight.
The trance was soon broken as the Prince became aware of his silent admirer. With alarm, Legolas returned to the present, appalled that he had fallen into the welcomed embrace of sleep as he wandered. Sensing the Elf's unease, the Man spoke to reassure his beloved, "It's only me, Aragorn. I am sorry I startled you."
At the sound of Aragorn's voice, the Prince visibly relaxed and closed the distance between them. "It is alright. I should not have fallen asleep on my feet. I must be more exhausted than I thought," replied Legolas softly, smiling at his commander. He had been wishing to speak with the Man alone for the entire week; but now that he had his wish, he found himself strangely tongue-tied.
"Why are you not in your rooms then?" inquired the Man gently. He wanted to apologize, spurt words of praise and undying love. But as he had yet to find the right phrases when he chanced upon the Elf, he did not know how to broach the subject. As a result, Aragorn was forced to settle for making small talk instead.
"People are watching my rooms, and the bathing rooms too. I cannot go back until they leave," answered the Prince, trying to feign nonchalance. This conversation was definitely not going as he wished. The last thing he wanted to talk to Aragorn about was his problems with the other recruits.
The Man needed to take many deep breaths before he moved or spoke again. If he had not done so, he would have marched to the barracks and did bodily harm to all the Elves who tried to pursue his Lasgalen. But he had a feeling that his beloved would not be pleased with him for being so possessive and violent. Instead, he used every ounce of his will power to control his anger and jealous before making his offer. "You can use my rooms if you wish."
Legolas blushed, considered for a very long moment before making his response, "Thank you for the offer. But I don't have any of my cleaning supplies or clothes with me; I think I will just wait them out."
Aragorn was very disappointed, but tried his best not to let his sentiment show. He was about to make some excuse to leave and wallow in his misery when he heard his Elf whispered shyly, "Would you stay with me for a little while? Keep me company?"
The Man felt like bouncing around in joy. Lasgalen wanted HIS company, not anyone else's!! Take that, you lot of prancing Elves! shouted Aragorn mentally in triumph, before replying aloud, "I would love to." He tried his best not to sound too eager, but he knew he failed miserable. But since the Elf gave him another fond smile, the Man was not overly concerned with his juvenile antics.
Forcing himself to calm from his euphoria, Aragorn suggested as he held out his hand for Lasgalen, "I know this place in the forest were we can sit comfortably and talk. I can show you if you like."
"That sounds wonderful," replied the Prince, placing his slim hand into the Man's larger one, blushing slightly as he smiled.
Walking hand in hand, Aragorn was becoming more confident by the minute that whatever he said, his apology would be accepted and the Elf would stop being angry with him. Gathering his courage, he whispered, breaking their amicable silence, 'Lasgalen..."
"Yes, Aragorn," answered the Prince, casting a glance at the Man who held his heart. He had been trying to keep his attention focused on the path ahead as he was unsure of what to do. He had never been in love before; least say had fight with someone he loved.
Unable to face his Elf during his apology, the Man stared resolutely at the floor as he spoke, "I am sorry for my actions that night a week ago. I was a bit harsh; and I shouldn't have walked out on you; and..."
A slender finger on the Man's lips stopped the outpouring of words. When Aragorn looked up to face his Elf, he surprised to see Lasgalen's uncertain gaze upon him. "The truth is that I am not angry with you. I am just a bit hurt by how cold you were that night. In the last few days, I thought I wanted an apology; but now I realize all I need is your reassurance that you do care about me."
"Oh Lasgalen, I love you! Don't ever doubt that again. I am so sorry," proclaimed the Man as he gathered the Elf in his arms. Gazing deep into those exquisite sapphire eyes, Aragorn claimed the Prince's lips in a tender kiss, with all the love he ever felt for his beloved. It seemed an eternity before they parted, wearing identical content smiles. With his arm over Lasgalen's shoulder, the Man guided his Elf towards their destination.
Under the shades of a great birch tree, the lovers sat together in perfect bliss, gazing out into the night sky. The full moon and stars glimmered softly, painting a masterpiece of celestial beauty. The gentle breeze whispered its serenade of love; the soft rustling of leaves chiming in to create the tranquil music of the night.
Arm draped over his beloved's shoulder, calloused fingers interlaced with slimmer, pale ones, a golden head resting peacefully against his chest, Aragorn was content. Though not what he envisioned, the night was perfect. This moment they shared, sitting side by side in comfortable silence, was more intimate and satisfying than any night of passion the Man had ever experienced. No words, no movements, just the simple feeling of being with the one he loved. Aragorn was never a romantic. But at that moment, he truly believed that everyone was supposed to have a soulmate and that Lasgalen was his other half, the only one who could make him whole.
Legolas knew Aragorn was his one true love the moment they kissed two weeks ago. But now sitting here alone with the Man, any doubts he had about continuing their relationship vanished. He would rather die than leave his human commander. All he wanted was for the night to last forever, just the two of them together without worries of the outside world. But the voice of reason in his mind would not let him be. After the short reprieve it granted him to enjoy the moment, it nagged at him, forcing him to consider his future strategies.
This was not a game, not some intrigue that as a diplomat Legolas was familiar with. This was entirely new territory where two hearts were at risk. One false move and the Prince would not only have his heart broken but also broke the heart of the one he valued more than his own life. The twins knew his secret; sooner or later, Aragorn would know it as well. It would be better if the Man heard the truth from him instead.
His brain protested against the idea, thinking he was allowing his feelings to jeopardize his mission. But his heart urged him on, wanting no more falsehood between himself and the one he loved. The coward in him wanted to hide, afraid that Aragorn would not forgive him. The romantic wished to speak, firmly believing their love would survive, no matter what happened.
Aragorn too began to sense the blissful tranquility they shared slipping away. Suddenly aware of the tension within his Elf, the Man tightened his embrace, wishing to shield his beloved from all the troubles of the world, before asking softly, "What's wrong, love?"
At that moment, Legolas knew he needed to confide the whole truth in his beloved before it was too late. There was already a strong bond between them; soon there would be no hiding his emotions from the Man. He could no longer wait until he gained everyone's respect with his own strength. "Aragorn, there is something I must tell you."
"Tell me," whispered the Man encouragingly, before placing a gentle kiss on top of his beloved's golden head.
Turning to face his commander, Legolas held the Man's steel-grey eyes with his own stormy sapphires as he began, "I am not who you think I am. I ..."
His confession was cut short by an inhuman cry. "Stupid Estel!" A loud fluttering of wings and the dismayed mutters of "Be quiet, Estel!" soon followed. It was clear the couple was not alone.
"Come out at once!" exclaimed Aragorn, very angry at the intrusion. In fact, he was more upset with the intrusion than what Lasgalen had just told him. His beloved's identity was not of that much importance to him. As long as the Elf was still the same wonderful, innocent person, the Man would love him whoever he might be. Though Aragorn did not believe the twins' lies about Lasgalen, he was not so stupid that he did not notice the Elf was too special to be the commoner he was pretending to be.
The Dwarf, holding a parrot in a cage, soon appeared from the dense foliage. Apparently, Gimli's aimless wandering had taken him to the one place he wished to avoid, where his friend and commander were. The couple was too enrapt in the their own private world to notice the approach of the Dwarf and bird. As soon as Gimli heard voices in the direction he was heading, he started to turn back, hoping his intrusion would go unnoticed. When the Prince began his confession, though the Dwarf was unsure of the wisdom of it, he decided he would support Legolas' decision and remain silent.
Estel, however, had other ideas. The parrot had a much lower esteem of its human counterpart than the Dwarf. It was certain if its beloved told human Estel the truth, the 'stupid Man' would hurt the golden Elf's feelings. It decided it would be the hero and save Legolas from heartbreak at the hands of its 'inconsiderate' namesake. Thus, before the Prince could disclose the entire truth, the bird interrupted.
"Sorry, I was just walking around. Didn't expect anyone to be here," said Gimli, looking more than a bit embarrassed. Parrot Estel, on the other hand, glared at the Man without a trace of repentance in its little eyes.
"Don't ever spy on us again. I hate spies," warned the Man, menacingly. Though Aragorn was looking at Gimli, the Elf felt a blade twist in his heart. It was already too late. He should have known better; they should never have begun. The only thing Legolas could do was to end this now, before the Man falls deeper in love with Lasgalen.
The Dwarf noticed the grimace on his friend and was about to speak when the Prince whispered, "I think we should stop seeing each other from now on."
The Man spun around to face his Elf. He could not believe his ears, especially after the bliss they just shared. "What did you say?"
With a calm he spent centuries perfecting, the Prince looked squarely into Aragorn's eyes. "I am not who you think I am. I love you and I don't want you to get hurt. And I don't want you to hate me when you learn the truth. We must end this now."
Before Aragorn could protest, Legolas turned and sprinted away, leaving a confused and heart-broken Man to ponder why things had suddenly gone so wrong in what was the most perfect night in his life.
Please, please review.
Author's note: A sincere apology to any reader who was unhappy with the last chapter. Received a review that pointed out it contains adult themes that were used as a joke, namely Elrohir's intentions. Frankly, I did not expect it to be taken seriously. With this fiction, I just start writing a chapter and see what comes out. Save for a few elements I must go through, everything depends on my state of mind. Which is why a 'short story' had turned out to be this long =)
But anyway, yesterday was a day when I should not be writing humor since I was in a sick and twisted mood while my mind was still in the gutter. Though I can say with a clear conscious that I will never allow any of my characters to be violated without their consent, I am still really sorry if anyone is offended.
I think I will stay with a short chapter of mushy stuff and Aragorn torturing instead. Not funny at all. Accelerated the storyline, since this fiction is getting a bit long =)
************************************************************************
Chapter 20:
Legolas was feeling an urge to hurt Haldir for convincing him to wear his formal clothes to the competition. The young Elf was very tired from the long day and wished for nothing more than a soothing bath and a warm bed, with the exception of speaking to Aragorn before sleeping, of course. But now, he could have neither of those things as most of the recruits were lurking in the bathing rooms, wanting to catch a glimpse of him in the nude. The rest of them were staking out his room, in case he forwent the bath and decided to change there instead. So it was that the Prince was forced to wander the forests of Rivendell aimlessly; waiting for the crowd to disperse before returning to his quiet life.
It was under these trees that Aragorn found his beloved. He had gone into the woods to look for inspiration to compose a love poem for his beautiful Elf. The Man wanted the night to be perfect; he wanted to outdo himself in all his previous romances. Lasgalen was special; the Elf deserved the very best he had to offer. But all thoughts were forgotten when he encountered the golden beauty, glowing gently in the pale moonlight. The Elf still wore the same clothes he did at the competition, a vision in white and amber. He wore an unguarded expression as he moved gracefully along the winding paths, an angel about to re-enter the world of dreams. The Man swore he had never seen a more breathtaking sight.
The trance was soon broken as the Prince became aware of his silent admirer. With alarm, Legolas returned to the present, appalled that he had fallen into the welcomed embrace of sleep as he wandered. Sensing the Elf's unease, the Man spoke to reassure his beloved, "It's only me, Aragorn. I am sorry I startled you."
At the sound of Aragorn's voice, the Prince visibly relaxed and closed the distance between them. "It is alright. I should not have fallen asleep on my feet. I must be more exhausted than I thought," replied Legolas softly, smiling at his commander. He had been wishing to speak with the Man alone for the entire week; but now that he had his wish, he found himself strangely tongue-tied.
"Why are you not in your rooms then?" inquired the Man gently. He wanted to apologize, spurt words of praise and undying love. But as he had yet to find the right phrases when he chanced upon the Elf, he did not know how to broach the subject. As a result, Aragorn was forced to settle for making small talk instead.
"People are watching my rooms, and the bathing rooms too. I cannot go back until they leave," answered the Prince, trying to feign nonchalance. This conversation was definitely not going as he wished. The last thing he wanted to talk to Aragorn about was his problems with the other recruits.
The Man needed to take many deep breaths before he moved or spoke again. If he had not done so, he would have marched to the barracks and did bodily harm to all the Elves who tried to pursue his Lasgalen. But he had a feeling that his beloved would not be pleased with him for being so possessive and violent. Instead, he used every ounce of his will power to control his anger and jealous before making his offer. "You can use my rooms if you wish."
Legolas blushed, considered for a very long moment before making his response, "Thank you for the offer. But I don't have any of my cleaning supplies or clothes with me; I think I will just wait them out."
Aragorn was very disappointed, but tried his best not to let his sentiment show. He was about to make some excuse to leave and wallow in his misery when he heard his Elf whispered shyly, "Would you stay with me for a little while? Keep me company?"
The Man felt like bouncing around in joy. Lasgalen wanted HIS company, not anyone else's!! Take that, you lot of prancing Elves! shouted Aragorn mentally in triumph, before replying aloud, "I would love to." He tried his best not to sound too eager, but he knew he failed miserable. But since the Elf gave him another fond smile, the Man was not overly concerned with his juvenile antics.
Forcing himself to calm from his euphoria, Aragorn suggested as he held out his hand for Lasgalen, "I know this place in the forest were we can sit comfortably and talk. I can show you if you like."
"That sounds wonderful," replied the Prince, placing his slim hand into the Man's larger one, blushing slightly as he smiled.
Walking hand in hand, Aragorn was becoming more confident by the minute that whatever he said, his apology would be accepted and the Elf would stop being angry with him. Gathering his courage, he whispered, breaking their amicable silence, 'Lasgalen..."
"Yes, Aragorn," answered the Prince, casting a glance at the Man who held his heart. He had been trying to keep his attention focused on the path ahead as he was unsure of what to do. He had never been in love before; least say had fight with someone he loved.
Unable to face his Elf during his apology, the Man stared resolutely at the floor as he spoke, "I am sorry for my actions that night a week ago. I was a bit harsh; and I shouldn't have walked out on you; and..."
A slender finger on the Man's lips stopped the outpouring of words. When Aragorn looked up to face his Elf, he surprised to see Lasgalen's uncertain gaze upon him. "The truth is that I am not angry with you. I am just a bit hurt by how cold you were that night. In the last few days, I thought I wanted an apology; but now I realize all I need is your reassurance that you do care about me."
"Oh Lasgalen, I love you! Don't ever doubt that again. I am so sorry," proclaimed the Man as he gathered the Elf in his arms. Gazing deep into those exquisite sapphire eyes, Aragorn claimed the Prince's lips in a tender kiss, with all the love he ever felt for his beloved. It seemed an eternity before they parted, wearing identical content smiles. With his arm over Lasgalen's shoulder, the Man guided his Elf towards their destination.
Under the shades of a great birch tree, the lovers sat together in perfect bliss, gazing out into the night sky. The full moon and stars glimmered softly, painting a masterpiece of celestial beauty. The gentle breeze whispered its serenade of love; the soft rustling of leaves chiming in to create the tranquil music of the night.
Arm draped over his beloved's shoulder, calloused fingers interlaced with slimmer, pale ones, a golden head resting peacefully against his chest, Aragorn was content. Though not what he envisioned, the night was perfect. This moment they shared, sitting side by side in comfortable silence, was more intimate and satisfying than any night of passion the Man had ever experienced. No words, no movements, just the simple feeling of being with the one he loved. Aragorn was never a romantic. But at that moment, he truly believed that everyone was supposed to have a soulmate and that Lasgalen was his other half, the only one who could make him whole.
Legolas knew Aragorn was his one true love the moment they kissed two weeks ago. But now sitting here alone with the Man, any doubts he had about continuing their relationship vanished. He would rather die than leave his human commander. All he wanted was for the night to last forever, just the two of them together without worries of the outside world. But the voice of reason in his mind would not let him be. After the short reprieve it granted him to enjoy the moment, it nagged at him, forcing him to consider his future strategies.
This was not a game, not some intrigue that as a diplomat Legolas was familiar with. This was entirely new territory where two hearts were at risk. One false move and the Prince would not only have his heart broken but also broke the heart of the one he valued more than his own life. The twins knew his secret; sooner or later, Aragorn would know it as well. It would be better if the Man heard the truth from him instead.
His brain protested against the idea, thinking he was allowing his feelings to jeopardize his mission. But his heart urged him on, wanting no more falsehood between himself and the one he loved. The coward in him wanted to hide, afraid that Aragorn would not forgive him. The romantic wished to speak, firmly believing their love would survive, no matter what happened.
Aragorn too began to sense the blissful tranquility they shared slipping away. Suddenly aware of the tension within his Elf, the Man tightened his embrace, wishing to shield his beloved from all the troubles of the world, before asking softly, "What's wrong, love?"
At that moment, Legolas knew he needed to confide the whole truth in his beloved before it was too late. There was already a strong bond between them; soon there would be no hiding his emotions from the Man. He could no longer wait until he gained everyone's respect with his own strength. "Aragorn, there is something I must tell you."
"Tell me," whispered the Man encouragingly, before placing a gentle kiss on top of his beloved's golden head.
Turning to face his commander, Legolas held the Man's steel-grey eyes with his own stormy sapphires as he began, "I am not who you think I am. I ..."
His confession was cut short by an inhuman cry. "Stupid Estel!" A loud fluttering of wings and the dismayed mutters of "Be quiet, Estel!" soon followed. It was clear the couple was not alone.
"Come out at once!" exclaimed Aragorn, very angry at the intrusion. In fact, he was more upset with the intrusion than what Lasgalen had just told him. His beloved's identity was not of that much importance to him. As long as the Elf was still the same wonderful, innocent person, the Man would love him whoever he might be. Though Aragorn did not believe the twins' lies about Lasgalen, he was not so stupid that he did not notice the Elf was too special to be the commoner he was pretending to be.
The Dwarf, holding a parrot in a cage, soon appeared from the dense foliage. Apparently, Gimli's aimless wandering had taken him to the one place he wished to avoid, where his friend and commander were. The couple was too enrapt in the their own private world to notice the approach of the Dwarf and bird. As soon as Gimli heard voices in the direction he was heading, he started to turn back, hoping his intrusion would go unnoticed. When the Prince began his confession, though the Dwarf was unsure of the wisdom of it, he decided he would support Legolas' decision and remain silent.
Estel, however, had other ideas. The parrot had a much lower esteem of its human counterpart than the Dwarf. It was certain if its beloved told human Estel the truth, the 'stupid Man' would hurt the golden Elf's feelings. It decided it would be the hero and save Legolas from heartbreak at the hands of its 'inconsiderate' namesake. Thus, before the Prince could disclose the entire truth, the bird interrupted.
"Sorry, I was just walking around. Didn't expect anyone to be here," said Gimli, looking more than a bit embarrassed. Parrot Estel, on the other hand, glared at the Man without a trace of repentance in its little eyes.
"Don't ever spy on us again. I hate spies," warned the Man, menacingly. Though Aragorn was looking at Gimli, the Elf felt a blade twist in his heart. It was already too late. He should have known better; they should never have begun. The only thing Legolas could do was to end this now, before the Man falls deeper in love with Lasgalen.
The Dwarf noticed the grimace on his friend and was about to speak when the Prince whispered, "I think we should stop seeing each other from now on."
The Man spun around to face his Elf. He could not believe his ears, especially after the bliss they just shared. "What did you say?"
With a calm he spent centuries perfecting, the Prince looked squarely into Aragorn's eyes. "I am not who you think I am. I love you and I don't want you to get hurt. And I don't want you to hate me when you learn the truth. We must end this now."
Before Aragorn could protest, Legolas turned and sprinted away, leaving a confused and heart-broken Man to ponder why things had suddenly gone so wrong in what was the most perfect night in his life.