When Legolas entered Azurea's room the next morning, he opened the door to
find her bed neatly made. He was quite perplexed, to say the least.
"Azurea?" he questioned, walking into the room and looking about.
"I'm in here!" she said. Legolas followed her alluring voice into the adjoining room and was taken aback by what he saw. She was leaning over the balcony, taking in the summer breeze, obviously unaffected by the gash on her stomach. Her matted curly brown hair had been released from its restraint and now pooled around her small waist. The wound above her brow had dramatically shrunk in size and her once chapped lips adorned a glossy finish.
He smiled softly. "I can see you're feeling better."
"Oh, very much so!" she replied enthusiastically. "Thank the healer for me. Whatever he has given me has worked wonders." His smile faded a bit as he looked upon her. "Is something the matter?"
Legolas shook his head. "Nothing you should worry of."
She gazed into his deep blue eyes, trying to see what was troubling him. "Maybe it's something I can help you with? Or, if you'd like, I can just listen."
He sighed softly, hoping he could get something out of her by telling her what the trouble was. "Orcs are patrolling our borders. My father fears for the safety of our people."
Her eyes went wide in fear. "O.or. orcs?" she stuttered. Her hand went to her face in an attempt to stop the tears. The elves offered her security and she was bringing fear, and soon torment, to them. "I . I must leave."
"You can't go anywhere, you're still on the mend," he protested. He captured her arm in his hand and turned her about. "We will keep you safe if only you would tell us why they're after you."
"My mother," she said softly. "She was the Queen of Rohan. When she died, she gave me this," Azurea brought forth a very simplistic necklace with a small key adorning the chain. "She told me to keep it safe. I know not why they want it." She slowly brought her hand over her stomach. "How they got past the guards at the palace and where they took me, I do not know. They battered and beat me, trying to get the necklace from me," a silent tear trickled down her cheek, but her voice did not falter. "And when I finally broke free of my restraints, I ran."
"Why did they not just take the necklace?"
She shook her head. "They couldn't. It cannot be taken; it must be given by the owner." She looked up at Legolas, her eyes now brimming with tears. "I never meant to bring trouble with me." She launched herself forward and into his arms, crying softly on his shoulder.
He hesitantly put an arm around her. "We will keep you safe," he said softly. "I can promise you that."
Realizing she had let her guard down and allowed herself to appear vulnerable, Azurea backed away from the elf. She tried desperately not to meet his gaze. "Thank you, Master Elf," she replied sweetly, trying to wipe away her tears nonchalantly.
She didn't want to think about Rohan for she feared of what her absence might bring. She leaned back against the balcony, allowing her surroundings to captivate her and take her mind off of her moment of weakness. She breathed in the summer air as a soft purr of content emitted from low in her throat.
"Have you been taken by the beauty yet?" Legolas questioned tenderly.
She smiled. "I suppose you could say that." All she really wanted to do at that moment was go outside. She wanted to set off at a run through the trees and be at peace with the birds above her and the grass beneath her feet. Her father, King Leathor, always said she was nothing like the other girls. Azurea was never afraid to get dirty and never cried when her knees were scraped. "I wish to go outside."
"My Lady, I do not know if that is -"
"Nonsense," she smiled. "I believe it is a perfectly good idea. There is no use arguing with me, Master Legolas."
He bowed. "As you wish, my lady. Simply allow me to fetch my bow and quiver."
"What for?" she questioned.
"So that I may keep you safe."
"Very well," she sighed. It reminded her very much of home. She was barely allowed out of the palace without guards at her heels. Azurea desired to be alone, but knew, much to her dismay, that if she were killed, the King of Mirkwood would be at fault. Her safety was in his hands.
Once Legolas had returned with his bow and quiver full of arrows, he escorted the princess out of the palace and into the lush forest of Mirkwood. Azurea was awed by the deep greens and soft yellows of the forest.
"I have never seen such beauty in all the 24 years of my life," she said, more so to herself than to Legolas. She turned on her heels to face the elf. "I'd be in such heaven if I lived here."
He smirked. "You enjoy nature?"
"Yes. But I enjoy the peace and quiet much more. I prefer to be alone than in the company of other."
"You and I are not much different, then."
"Being a prince, you must know what I go through. But it is different for you, Legolas! You are not a woman. You are not seen as a meek and unable," she sighed heavily. "I am not feeble and I am very much able to defend myself."
Legolas stared at her in disbelief. "You are but a young woman. You cannot defend yourself, surely."
Azurea shot the elf an evil glare. "You are just like every other male I've ever known. Another maiden of my age would have died if they had been in my position! Never would they have had enough sense to escape the Orcs!" She shook her head. "I do not need to hear this again."
And with that, she took off at a run, cursing the unbidden tears that had already begun falling down her pale cheeks.
*Review are always nice and constructive criticism is welcome.
"I'm in here!" she said. Legolas followed her alluring voice into the adjoining room and was taken aback by what he saw. She was leaning over the balcony, taking in the summer breeze, obviously unaffected by the gash on her stomach. Her matted curly brown hair had been released from its restraint and now pooled around her small waist. The wound above her brow had dramatically shrunk in size and her once chapped lips adorned a glossy finish.
He smiled softly. "I can see you're feeling better."
"Oh, very much so!" she replied enthusiastically. "Thank the healer for me. Whatever he has given me has worked wonders." His smile faded a bit as he looked upon her. "Is something the matter?"
Legolas shook his head. "Nothing you should worry of."
She gazed into his deep blue eyes, trying to see what was troubling him. "Maybe it's something I can help you with? Or, if you'd like, I can just listen."
He sighed softly, hoping he could get something out of her by telling her what the trouble was. "Orcs are patrolling our borders. My father fears for the safety of our people."
Her eyes went wide in fear. "O.or. orcs?" she stuttered. Her hand went to her face in an attempt to stop the tears. The elves offered her security and she was bringing fear, and soon torment, to them. "I . I must leave."
"You can't go anywhere, you're still on the mend," he protested. He captured her arm in his hand and turned her about. "We will keep you safe if only you would tell us why they're after you."
"My mother," she said softly. "She was the Queen of Rohan. When she died, she gave me this," Azurea brought forth a very simplistic necklace with a small key adorning the chain. "She told me to keep it safe. I know not why they want it." She slowly brought her hand over her stomach. "How they got past the guards at the palace and where they took me, I do not know. They battered and beat me, trying to get the necklace from me," a silent tear trickled down her cheek, but her voice did not falter. "And when I finally broke free of my restraints, I ran."
"Why did they not just take the necklace?"
She shook her head. "They couldn't. It cannot be taken; it must be given by the owner." She looked up at Legolas, her eyes now brimming with tears. "I never meant to bring trouble with me." She launched herself forward and into his arms, crying softly on his shoulder.
He hesitantly put an arm around her. "We will keep you safe," he said softly. "I can promise you that."
Realizing she had let her guard down and allowed herself to appear vulnerable, Azurea backed away from the elf. She tried desperately not to meet his gaze. "Thank you, Master Elf," she replied sweetly, trying to wipe away her tears nonchalantly.
She didn't want to think about Rohan for she feared of what her absence might bring. She leaned back against the balcony, allowing her surroundings to captivate her and take her mind off of her moment of weakness. She breathed in the summer air as a soft purr of content emitted from low in her throat.
"Have you been taken by the beauty yet?" Legolas questioned tenderly.
She smiled. "I suppose you could say that." All she really wanted to do at that moment was go outside. She wanted to set off at a run through the trees and be at peace with the birds above her and the grass beneath her feet. Her father, King Leathor, always said she was nothing like the other girls. Azurea was never afraid to get dirty and never cried when her knees were scraped. "I wish to go outside."
"My Lady, I do not know if that is -"
"Nonsense," she smiled. "I believe it is a perfectly good idea. There is no use arguing with me, Master Legolas."
He bowed. "As you wish, my lady. Simply allow me to fetch my bow and quiver."
"What for?" she questioned.
"So that I may keep you safe."
"Very well," she sighed. It reminded her very much of home. She was barely allowed out of the palace without guards at her heels. Azurea desired to be alone, but knew, much to her dismay, that if she were killed, the King of Mirkwood would be at fault. Her safety was in his hands.
Once Legolas had returned with his bow and quiver full of arrows, he escorted the princess out of the palace and into the lush forest of Mirkwood. Azurea was awed by the deep greens and soft yellows of the forest.
"I have never seen such beauty in all the 24 years of my life," she said, more so to herself than to Legolas. She turned on her heels to face the elf. "I'd be in such heaven if I lived here."
He smirked. "You enjoy nature?"
"Yes. But I enjoy the peace and quiet much more. I prefer to be alone than in the company of other."
"You and I are not much different, then."
"Being a prince, you must know what I go through. But it is different for you, Legolas! You are not a woman. You are not seen as a meek and unable," she sighed heavily. "I am not feeble and I am very much able to defend myself."
Legolas stared at her in disbelief. "You are but a young woman. You cannot defend yourself, surely."
Azurea shot the elf an evil glare. "You are just like every other male I've ever known. Another maiden of my age would have died if they had been in my position! Never would they have had enough sense to escape the Orcs!" She shook her head. "I do not need to hear this again."
And with that, she took off at a run, cursing the unbidden tears that had already begun falling down her pale cheeks.
*Review are always nice and constructive criticism is welcome.