A/N: Thank you for wonderful reviews! This story is far from over to all
the ones that are wondering.
The next day, King Thranduil sent Legolas out to scout the borders of Mirkwood. Legolas reluctantly left Rhiannon and Elihor and mounted his white steed. Rhiannon and Elihor waved goodbye at Legolas' retreating form then headed back to the palace together.
They walked back to Rhiannon's room silently. When they reached her door, Rhiannon shyly asked, "Would you like to walk with me in the garden?"
Elihor's heart jumped up. "Of course, Rhia. I would be honored to." Eli offered Rhiannon his arm.
Rhiannon smiled and gladly took his arm. They started to walk toward the garden. 'I should ask her,' Elihor thought. The couple reached the garden. He hesitated then said, "Rhiannon, we need to talk."
Rhiannon's heart fluttered. 'Is he asking me to marry him?' she thought excitedly. "Oh. Okay, Eli." She sat down on one of the stone benches.
Elihor took a deep breath and asked, "Did Legolas ask you to marry him yesterday?"
Rhiannon's heart dropped with a 'kerplop!' in her stomach. "Oh," she said disappointedly. When Elihor gave her a weird look, she quickly recovered, "Um. no, he didn't. He asked me the night before though."
Elihor felt like flying. Rhiannon was still available. "Okay." An awkward silence filled the air between them again. 'That always seems to happen when I'm with him,' Rhiannon thought silently.
Elihor couldn't take it anymore. "Rhiannon, I want you to truthfully answer me: do you love Legolas?" he asked firmly, sitting down next to Rhiannon.
Rhiannon couldn't believe her ears. Her love was asking her if she loved another? "No, of course not. We are just friends. We can't be anything else," she said. Immediately she regretted what she said. 'Elihor and I are friends too. Does that mean we can't be anything else also?' she thought sadly.
Elihor stopped. 'Does this mean she doesn't love me? That we can not be more than friends?' he thought mournfully. 'Fine, since she does not love me herself, then I shall help Legolas win her heart.'
"Maybe you can be more than friends if you just try," he advised Rhiannon and secretly, his heart.
Rhiannon felt like soaring, but she did not want to make her love obvious. "Maybe. But. I really don't love him. I like him a lot as a friend. Besides, I think many people would object to our marriage, considering last night Naleese kept giving me death glares," she said mournfully.
"Rhiannon, he loves you very much and it tears my heart to see him grieving over you. Maybe, over time, you can learn to love him," Elihor said in a melancholy tone.
That did it. Rhiannon was on the brink of tears. The only one she had ever loved in her whole life was trying to push her away towards another man. "Eli, this is none of your business," she jumped up and shouted. "I do not love Legolas and it is not up to you whether I should love him or not. Please just leave us alone!" Rhiannon dashed out of the garden to her room, her tears blinding her.
Elihor stood in the garden looking at Rhiannon's form running away from him. He felt like slapping himself. He had made the only one he had ever loved hate him! He groaned and put his face in his hands.
From the shadows, Naleese grinned as she watched the scene. **************************************************************************** *************
Legolas rode his horse through the autumn foliage. He sighed. The forest was always his favorite place to retreat to when he needed to think. He thought of Rhiannon's fair face and smiled as he rode on absentmindedly.
His daydreams were interrupted when he heard a loud voice call out in the forest. "Aaaah!" a female voice screamed in frustration.
He quickly squeezed the sides of his horse and galloped forward. He saw an elf maiden wandering around aimlessly in the forest. She was wearing a tattered tunic with muddy leggings. She cried out again, "Oh, Eru! I have already been here yesterday! I'm walking around in circles!"
He quietly got off his horse and led it toward the woman. Her back was turned toward him so he was able to sneak up on her quite easily. "Greetings, young lost elf," he said in his rich voice.
The girl spun around quickly with her hands in the air so that she smacked in the nose. Legolas was shocked at her strength as his head flew to the side. He quickly recovered to see the girl was laughing. He felt his anger building up in him. 'This girl deliberately slaps me and now laughs at me!' he thought irritably.
When the girl saw his expression, she fell silent. "How dare you slap me?" he raised his voice in anger. "It is very rude to slap a prince of Mirkwood!" he yelled at her.
The girl stuck up her chin defiantly. "Well, your highness," she swept a mocking low bow. "It is very rude to sneak up on a vulnerable young maiden such as myself."
Legolas could not believe that he was arguing with a lowly being such as herself. "You know, young maiden, I could throw you in the dungeons for attacking me," he said in a cool voice.
The girl, however, was not intimidated. "Well, you were the one advancing towards me. That slap could be called a defense. Besides, it was an accident," she said in an equally cool voice.
Legolas' anger burst. He grabbed hold of her wrists and attempted to tie a rope around them. However, the girl would not give up without a fight. And fight, she did. She writhed, screamed, stomped, kicked, and pushed Legolas. Legolas found it hard to tie her wrists when he had to dodge her strong kicks and arms.
Finally, one of the girl's legs came in contact with his stomach. He let go of her wrists and doubled over in pain. The girl swiftly pulled out one of his swordsand held it to his throat. "Maybe I'm not as vulnerable as I said I was," she said in an amused tone.
Legolas froze as he felt the cool blade of his sword against his skin. He looked up at the girl. Her face had a bit of dirt and mud but he could still see her pale blue eyes looking at him. He put up his hands in surrender.
The girl smirked. "Now, did you say you were a prince of Mirkwood?" she asked him.
Legolas nodded slowly. 'Was she going to ask for a ransom?' he thought, now dreading his return back to Mirkwood. His friends and subjects would never let him forget that he was captured by a young she-elf.
The girl smiled a true smile. "Good. I have lost my way to Mirkwood and must get there to meet my mother and father," she declared as she removed the sword from Legolas' throat.
Legolas sighed in relief when he heard her words. "Then, it is my sworn duty to lead you to Mirkwood then, isn't it?" he said.
The girl looked smug. "Yes it is."
Legolas led his horse to where the girl was standing, expecting the girl to jump on it at once. "Well?" he asked irritated when the girl showed no sign of moving. "Do you know how to ride a horse?"
The girl broke out of her temporary trance and said, "Of course. I was just awed by your horse's beauty. I have not seen any horse like her."
Legolas looked at the girl oddly. His horse was pure white just like almost any other horse. He did not feel anything special about his horse: he only noticed that it was a lot faster than other horses.
The girl stepped up to the horse and mounted the steed neatly. Legolas followed her and sat behind her, holding on to her dainty waist. Clicking his tongue, Legolas led the horse back towards the palace.
After going a while in silence, the girl spoke up. "My name is Bethany, but people just call me Beth for short."
Legolas didn't think this girl would be so open as to tell him her name. "I am Legolas, first-born prince of Mirkwood."
Beth nodded in recognition. After another pause, she said, "I am sorry if I hurt you before. I truly did not slap you on purpose."
Legolas nodded. "Yes, I should have known." After yet another pause he asked, "Why does Lady Galadriel send a young maiden to deliver this message?"
Beth sighed. "Ladies are not always a delicate flower, you know. Some are dainty ladies who just want to stay out of the sun all day. And some, like me, enjoy seeing the world. I grew up in Mirkwood. I had learned how to defend myself ever since I was little. I mastered sword fighting well but never really mastered the bow and arrow. One day, Ada and Atar sent me to Lothlórien to see my aunt Lady Galdariel. When the visit was over, my aunt wanted to send a whole caravan with me but I begged my aunt Lady Galadriel to let me go back home by myself. I persuaded her and she reluctantly let me come. She made me pack a bundle of clothes and a lot of food. I took a steed and parted from Lothlórien. However, on my 5th day, a group of men attacked me, saying that I had trespassed on their territory. I managed to get away but they had kept my clothes, food, and horse. Today is my 7th day away from Lothlórien."
Legolas was stunned. A young maiden had gone through all that trouble to get to Mirkwood and he was giving her a hard time!
The two were silent for the rest of their trip back to Mirkwood. Legolas took his horse back to the stables and led the girl to his father's study. He knocked and when his father gave him permission to enter, he opened the door.
King Thranduil was sitting at the desk, talking to Lord Lamberto again. The pair looked up to see the prince of Mirkwood with a disheveled she-elf. However, when King Thranduil recognized the girl he cried out, "Bethany! How good it is to see you again! You have been away much too long!"
Beth smiled. "It is good to see you too, King Thranduil," she beamed as she saw Legolas' confused expression out of the corner of her eye.
King Thranduil ran to her and swung her into a tight embrace. "My girl, how was your visit to Lórien? And why are you so dirty? Come, we must get you cleaned up before you see your mother and father again!" He led Beth outside of the room and saw Rhiannon heading toward them. "Ah! Rhiannon! Would you be so kind as to show Lady Bethany to her old room?"
Rhiannon's face lit up when she saw her old friend. "Beth! You're back!" Beth almost burst out laughing when she saw Legolas' face twist up in even more confusion.
Rhiannon swept Beth into a tight embrace too. "My dear friend, how have you been? Your mother and father miss you so much. You must meet them!" Rhiannon looked at Beth's muddy outfit. "But not in that! Come, I shall help you prepare to meet them!" Rhiannon took Beth's hand and the two ran down the hall towards Beth's old room.
Legolas turned to his father. "Father, what is the meaning of this? How come all of you know who she is and I don't?" he asked, puzzled.
King Thranduil only laughed. "My dear son, Lady Bethany had grown up outside of the palace in the villages with her parents, Lord Ashta and Lady Nala Startree." Legolas nodded when he recognized the names of the nobles. "Well, I met Ashta and his family when I was walking through the villages. I took a great liking to him and made him a lord when you were on the Quest of the Ring. His family moved into the palace. Rhiannon took a great liking to Lady Bethany so the two became great friends. However, a year before you came back, Bethany wanted to go to Lórien to visit her relatives there. So she went, and now, finally she came back."
Legolas nodded. So that was the story behind this. Legolas told his father about how he met Bethany back in the forest, taking out the part about Beth "capturing" him. King Thranduil laughed when Legolas finished telling his tale. "My! How interesting first encounters can be! Come, we must tell the cooks to prepare a feast tonight and a ball in honor of the lady's return!"
A/N: hehehe! I liked this part a lot, especially the scene in the forest! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
The next day, King Thranduil sent Legolas out to scout the borders of Mirkwood. Legolas reluctantly left Rhiannon and Elihor and mounted his white steed. Rhiannon and Elihor waved goodbye at Legolas' retreating form then headed back to the palace together.
They walked back to Rhiannon's room silently. When they reached her door, Rhiannon shyly asked, "Would you like to walk with me in the garden?"
Elihor's heart jumped up. "Of course, Rhia. I would be honored to." Eli offered Rhiannon his arm.
Rhiannon smiled and gladly took his arm. They started to walk toward the garden. 'I should ask her,' Elihor thought. The couple reached the garden. He hesitated then said, "Rhiannon, we need to talk."
Rhiannon's heart fluttered. 'Is he asking me to marry him?' she thought excitedly. "Oh. Okay, Eli." She sat down on one of the stone benches.
Elihor took a deep breath and asked, "Did Legolas ask you to marry him yesterday?"
Rhiannon's heart dropped with a 'kerplop!' in her stomach. "Oh," she said disappointedly. When Elihor gave her a weird look, she quickly recovered, "Um. no, he didn't. He asked me the night before though."
Elihor felt like flying. Rhiannon was still available. "Okay." An awkward silence filled the air between them again. 'That always seems to happen when I'm with him,' Rhiannon thought silently.
Elihor couldn't take it anymore. "Rhiannon, I want you to truthfully answer me: do you love Legolas?" he asked firmly, sitting down next to Rhiannon.
Rhiannon couldn't believe her ears. Her love was asking her if she loved another? "No, of course not. We are just friends. We can't be anything else," she said. Immediately she regretted what she said. 'Elihor and I are friends too. Does that mean we can't be anything else also?' she thought sadly.
Elihor stopped. 'Does this mean she doesn't love me? That we can not be more than friends?' he thought mournfully. 'Fine, since she does not love me herself, then I shall help Legolas win her heart.'
"Maybe you can be more than friends if you just try," he advised Rhiannon and secretly, his heart.
Rhiannon felt like soaring, but she did not want to make her love obvious. "Maybe. But. I really don't love him. I like him a lot as a friend. Besides, I think many people would object to our marriage, considering last night Naleese kept giving me death glares," she said mournfully.
"Rhiannon, he loves you very much and it tears my heart to see him grieving over you. Maybe, over time, you can learn to love him," Elihor said in a melancholy tone.
That did it. Rhiannon was on the brink of tears. The only one she had ever loved in her whole life was trying to push her away towards another man. "Eli, this is none of your business," she jumped up and shouted. "I do not love Legolas and it is not up to you whether I should love him or not. Please just leave us alone!" Rhiannon dashed out of the garden to her room, her tears blinding her.
Elihor stood in the garden looking at Rhiannon's form running away from him. He felt like slapping himself. He had made the only one he had ever loved hate him! He groaned and put his face in his hands.
From the shadows, Naleese grinned as she watched the scene. **************************************************************************** *************
Legolas rode his horse through the autumn foliage. He sighed. The forest was always his favorite place to retreat to when he needed to think. He thought of Rhiannon's fair face and smiled as he rode on absentmindedly.
His daydreams were interrupted when he heard a loud voice call out in the forest. "Aaaah!" a female voice screamed in frustration.
He quickly squeezed the sides of his horse and galloped forward. He saw an elf maiden wandering around aimlessly in the forest. She was wearing a tattered tunic with muddy leggings. She cried out again, "Oh, Eru! I have already been here yesterday! I'm walking around in circles!"
He quietly got off his horse and led it toward the woman. Her back was turned toward him so he was able to sneak up on her quite easily. "Greetings, young lost elf," he said in his rich voice.
The girl spun around quickly with her hands in the air so that she smacked in the nose. Legolas was shocked at her strength as his head flew to the side. He quickly recovered to see the girl was laughing. He felt his anger building up in him. 'This girl deliberately slaps me and now laughs at me!' he thought irritably.
When the girl saw his expression, she fell silent. "How dare you slap me?" he raised his voice in anger. "It is very rude to slap a prince of Mirkwood!" he yelled at her.
The girl stuck up her chin defiantly. "Well, your highness," she swept a mocking low bow. "It is very rude to sneak up on a vulnerable young maiden such as myself."
Legolas could not believe that he was arguing with a lowly being such as herself. "You know, young maiden, I could throw you in the dungeons for attacking me," he said in a cool voice.
The girl, however, was not intimidated. "Well, you were the one advancing towards me. That slap could be called a defense. Besides, it was an accident," she said in an equally cool voice.
Legolas' anger burst. He grabbed hold of her wrists and attempted to tie a rope around them. However, the girl would not give up without a fight. And fight, she did. She writhed, screamed, stomped, kicked, and pushed Legolas. Legolas found it hard to tie her wrists when he had to dodge her strong kicks and arms.
Finally, one of the girl's legs came in contact with his stomach. He let go of her wrists and doubled over in pain. The girl swiftly pulled out one of his swordsand held it to his throat. "Maybe I'm not as vulnerable as I said I was," she said in an amused tone.
Legolas froze as he felt the cool blade of his sword against his skin. He looked up at the girl. Her face had a bit of dirt and mud but he could still see her pale blue eyes looking at him. He put up his hands in surrender.
The girl smirked. "Now, did you say you were a prince of Mirkwood?" she asked him.
Legolas nodded slowly. 'Was she going to ask for a ransom?' he thought, now dreading his return back to Mirkwood. His friends and subjects would never let him forget that he was captured by a young she-elf.
The girl smiled a true smile. "Good. I have lost my way to Mirkwood and must get there to meet my mother and father," she declared as she removed the sword from Legolas' throat.
Legolas sighed in relief when he heard her words. "Then, it is my sworn duty to lead you to Mirkwood then, isn't it?" he said.
The girl looked smug. "Yes it is."
Legolas led his horse to where the girl was standing, expecting the girl to jump on it at once. "Well?" he asked irritated when the girl showed no sign of moving. "Do you know how to ride a horse?"
The girl broke out of her temporary trance and said, "Of course. I was just awed by your horse's beauty. I have not seen any horse like her."
Legolas looked at the girl oddly. His horse was pure white just like almost any other horse. He did not feel anything special about his horse: he only noticed that it was a lot faster than other horses.
The girl stepped up to the horse and mounted the steed neatly. Legolas followed her and sat behind her, holding on to her dainty waist. Clicking his tongue, Legolas led the horse back towards the palace.
After going a while in silence, the girl spoke up. "My name is Bethany, but people just call me Beth for short."
Legolas didn't think this girl would be so open as to tell him her name. "I am Legolas, first-born prince of Mirkwood."
Beth nodded in recognition. After another pause, she said, "I am sorry if I hurt you before. I truly did not slap you on purpose."
Legolas nodded. "Yes, I should have known." After yet another pause he asked, "Why does Lady Galadriel send a young maiden to deliver this message?"
Beth sighed. "Ladies are not always a delicate flower, you know. Some are dainty ladies who just want to stay out of the sun all day. And some, like me, enjoy seeing the world. I grew up in Mirkwood. I had learned how to defend myself ever since I was little. I mastered sword fighting well but never really mastered the bow and arrow. One day, Ada and Atar sent me to Lothlórien to see my aunt Lady Galdariel. When the visit was over, my aunt wanted to send a whole caravan with me but I begged my aunt Lady Galadriel to let me go back home by myself. I persuaded her and she reluctantly let me come. She made me pack a bundle of clothes and a lot of food. I took a steed and parted from Lothlórien. However, on my 5th day, a group of men attacked me, saying that I had trespassed on their territory. I managed to get away but they had kept my clothes, food, and horse. Today is my 7th day away from Lothlórien."
Legolas was stunned. A young maiden had gone through all that trouble to get to Mirkwood and he was giving her a hard time!
The two were silent for the rest of their trip back to Mirkwood. Legolas took his horse back to the stables and led the girl to his father's study. He knocked and when his father gave him permission to enter, he opened the door.
King Thranduil was sitting at the desk, talking to Lord Lamberto again. The pair looked up to see the prince of Mirkwood with a disheveled she-elf. However, when King Thranduil recognized the girl he cried out, "Bethany! How good it is to see you again! You have been away much too long!"
Beth smiled. "It is good to see you too, King Thranduil," she beamed as she saw Legolas' confused expression out of the corner of her eye.
King Thranduil ran to her and swung her into a tight embrace. "My girl, how was your visit to Lórien? And why are you so dirty? Come, we must get you cleaned up before you see your mother and father again!" He led Beth outside of the room and saw Rhiannon heading toward them. "Ah! Rhiannon! Would you be so kind as to show Lady Bethany to her old room?"
Rhiannon's face lit up when she saw her old friend. "Beth! You're back!" Beth almost burst out laughing when she saw Legolas' face twist up in even more confusion.
Rhiannon swept Beth into a tight embrace too. "My dear friend, how have you been? Your mother and father miss you so much. You must meet them!" Rhiannon looked at Beth's muddy outfit. "But not in that! Come, I shall help you prepare to meet them!" Rhiannon took Beth's hand and the two ran down the hall towards Beth's old room.
Legolas turned to his father. "Father, what is the meaning of this? How come all of you know who she is and I don't?" he asked, puzzled.
King Thranduil only laughed. "My dear son, Lady Bethany had grown up outside of the palace in the villages with her parents, Lord Ashta and Lady Nala Startree." Legolas nodded when he recognized the names of the nobles. "Well, I met Ashta and his family when I was walking through the villages. I took a great liking to him and made him a lord when you were on the Quest of the Ring. His family moved into the palace. Rhiannon took a great liking to Lady Bethany so the two became great friends. However, a year before you came back, Bethany wanted to go to Lórien to visit her relatives there. So she went, and now, finally she came back."
Legolas nodded. So that was the story behind this. Legolas told his father about how he met Bethany back in the forest, taking out the part about Beth "capturing" him. King Thranduil laughed when Legolas finished telling his tale. "My! How interesting first encounters can be! Come, we must tell the cooks to prepare a feast tonight and a ball in honor of the lady's return!"
A/N: hehehe! I liked this part a lot, especially the scene in the forest! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!