I would like to thank and dedicate this chapter to:
LegolasLuver123,Gizmo Little Wing, Flyaway, BaMBbles, Mellon Drama, DDR Freak, O.B.I.M, Legolas and Aragorn Luvers, Kat Heiman, Annoying Took, Carrie-of-Pirate-Swoop, Elven Ice Angel, Cold Flame, Jo, Snicks and Adri, silverdust, Hikki, FuzzieNicolle, The she-MadHatter, Andray, The Story Weaver and me!
Esp to Elven Ice angel, your comment was really funny! ^_^ And Gizmo Little Wings, I will take note of your advice! Thanks!
Thanks for all your sweet wonderful comments! They spur me to update faster (which I am doing… so far…haha!!) and try to make the story better!
^_^ Thanks to many readers for pointing out the fact about Shadowfax. I was wondering about that too, but I just shrugged cos I liked the idea of Legolas riding on Shadowfax too much to care about accuracy!
I'm really sorry though for that mistake! ^_^ Lessens my credibility? Haha…
Oh yeah, I will be careful for the story not to turn into total fluff… haha… actually, this story was not meant to be a funny romance story, it was suppose to be sort of just a comedy… a tragedy. Haha, I was writing it while picturing all the scenes in my mind, in a sort of comic way. Really, never expected it to turn out like that….
I'm happy though, and I rather like the idea of Legolas accomplishing the seven trials, sort of like Hercules.
Oh and I have a question for all you readers! ^_^ Can your guess the origins of Orchid's name? Also known as Orli? Haha… try and guess how my warp mind works!
Ok, enough of my nonsense. I hope you like this chapter, which is sadly very fluffy! Oh no… I hope I don't turn into a soppy romantic…. ^_^
Chapter Seven: Champion of all Champions
Legolas looked up, there were hundreds of people around him, all staring at him. Everything seemed to be like a blur, and he couldn't make out anybody's faces.
But then, he saw… her.
He knew it was her. No one else could look at him, the way she did.
It was the first time he saw her face and it was more beautiful than he imagined. Admittedly, she was no conventional beauty. She didn't have long lustrous curls, big doleful eyes, deep dimples and the usual works.
But she had those eyes. Those eyes pierced through his heart, and seemed to glance all of his soul. He couldn't hide from her powerful gaze, and he didn't want to.
Legolas smiled, just so that she would smile back at him. And when she smiled, Legolas knew then and there, he would never see anything as beautiful again.
He didn't care that everybody was giving him strange looks. He had found what he had been looking for. And no one was going to take it away from him.
He was going to win the seven trials, or die trying. Whichever came first.
Orchid found that she couldn't breathe. She wanted to run away, she wanted to hide.
She didn't want Legolas to see her like this… in all her ugliness.
She didn't want Legolas to see her dressed like a girl.
She didn't want Legolas to see her. Period.
At least as a boy, she had a disguise. She could hide behind a mask.
Although Orchid was dressed elaborately in a gorgeous jeweled gown that reached to her toes, she had never felt more naked in her entire life.
She decided there and then, she was going to take off.
To hell, with her stupid promise to her parents!
But fate decided to play with Orchid's life again, and as Orchid was about to run off like a crazy chicken, Legolas smiled at her.
And Orchid froze.
She had never felt so beautiful in her entire life.
And so… she smiled back.
Queen Edfina was a clever woman. Although, sometimes she pretended to have more air than substance in her head, she was extremely perceptive and intuitive.
She liked to act stupid, because it lured people into a false sense of security. She had learned from a young age, that by acting stupid she could get clever people to do what she wanted.
And so she noticed that "smile" between Orchid and Legolas. She was secretly pleased, and was happy that Orchid had good taste. She was secretly worried that Orchid would rather marry a tree than an elf.
King Serwan was not as perceptive. He was quite insensitive, and didn't like Legolas immediately. As he told Orchid later, he didn't hold much esteem for "pretty boys". He secretly thought that Legolas was even prettier than Orchid, and no elf king should be more beautiful than his elf queen.
King Serwan frowned. "I'm afraid you have passed the time period. You will not be able to enter the competition."
Lots of sighs of relief echoed through the throng of princes.
Orchid was stunned, and so was Legolas.
Queen Edfina smiled, in that sweet innocent way of hers. "Of course, this fine young man can enter the competition. I don't remember a time period, and isn't everyone touched by his display of sincerity?"
King Serwan was about to butt in, when Queen Edfina leaned closer to King Serwan and said in a lower voice. "If you dare kick this handsome prince out of the competition, I shall kick you out of my bedroom!"
King Serwan cleared his throat, his face flushed. "Of course, he can enter the competition. Really, a most touching display of sincerity."
"I shall announce the start of the competition now." King Serwan announced, rather reluctantly.
Legolas beamed happily, and a couple of maidens fainted.
King Serwan narrowed his eyes and thought to himself. "Well let's see if this prince is more style or substance!"
Looks like Legolas would have to win over more than Orchid's heart to win her hand……
The first trial was a "simple" enough trial.
Orchid had actually planned a harder one, where the princes would have to jump down a rock cliff and the ones that survive (if any at all) will be able to go through to the next round.
Queen Edfina refused Orchid's first trial, she said, "We are planning a competition. Not a mass murder!"
Orchid had retorted lamely, that she wanted her husband to "have guts."
Queen Edfina glared at her. "Jumping off a cliff does not show guts, it shows madness."
And so the first trial was changed to a "milder" trial.
All the princes assembled at a large field. Most were nervous, except for a special few.
Legolas, already a hot favourite with all the ladies in the court, was signing autographs for some fair maidens. At the other corner, was a tall, dark and handsome prince from the Arabian Forest. He was leaning against a tree and looked extremely sullen and moody, he was another hot bet for the title of Prince Charming.
Then there was a long-haired elf who was humming a tune, his voice was melodious and birds and butterflies soon began to surround him. He had big soulful eyes with gorgeous eye lashes and a cute dimple on each cheek, all the maidens in the court immediately turned on their maternal instincts on him.
Finally, there was the last hot favourite. He had red hair like a fireball, and the most striking green eyes. It would have been a weird combination on anybody, but on him, it was electrifying. He couldn't help attracting attention, there was something wild about him. Devilish, nobody could escape his charm.
The competition was going to be tough!
Finally, King Serwan appeared on the field. He smiled, almost sympathetically at the princes. "It is well-known that my second daughter, Princess Orchid, is excellent in horse-riding. She would need a man that can keep up with her!"
"She is wild like the wildest horses, and for a man to marry her, he would need to learn to tame her." King Serwan laughed. "We are going to release a hundred horses. They are some of the fastest and meanest horses in the land, almost untamable!"
"To get into the next round, you would have to get onto a horse." King Serwan smiled. "That if you can even catch up to one. You are not allowed to use anything, not even a rope. Just your own body and skill."
Queen Edfina appeared then. "I would like to add that one of the horses is my daughter's own favourite horse. But that horse is also the wildest and hardest to catch. The one who manages to get onto that horse will get a chance to talk to Orchid!"
Orchid who was standing and looking from afar, was flabbergasted. "WHAT!"
She turned beetroot red. Her mother was doing some crazy thing behind her back again. She would give anything for the day she could outwit her mother for once!!!
"I announce the start of ROUND ONE!" King Serwan roared.
Suddenly, one hundred horses started running out of the stables and into the field.
Some of the princes were getting trampled by the stampede of horses.
It looked like it was impossible to even touch a horse, much less get onto one.
King Serwan and Queen Edfina looked at each other. "Thank god, we made them sign a contract that frees us from any blame in the case of permanent injury or death."
Many of the princes had given up. They ran away from the field, crying like a baby.
Then amazingly, one prince got onto a horse!
It was the prince from the Arabian forest. He had walked from the tree and glared at a horse.
The horse immediately became meek and bowed its head towards him.
The extraordinary part was that, that very same horse had head butted five princes!
Then there was the boyish prince with the wonderful voice, he sang a most hypnotic song.
One of the biggest and strongest horse walked up to him and accepted him as his master.
The wild red-haired prince true to his nature, had jumped onto a horse suddenly.
The horse had resisted wildly, but no matter how it jumped, the prince would not fall.
He even seemed to be enjoying himself.
Everybody's eyes then fell on Legolas. Legolas was strangely quiet.
He stood silently at one corner, surveying the horses.
Everybody started whispering, was Legolas going to give up?
Maybe he didn't want to ruffle his beautiful liquid gold locks.
Then all of a sudden, Legolas ran towards a horse.
Everybody gasped. With an elegant swoop, he got onto the horse.
Just like that.
It was almost as if he had done this his whole life. His movement was so smooth, so swift, that even King Serwan had to admit that Legolas was more than eye candy.
And then everybody noticed the horse Legolas had gotten onto.
It seemed simple and plain compared to all the other horses. Then everybody noticed its dark coat, it was no ordinary black horse. It was black, but seemed to shimmer with all the colours of the night, its coat was beautiful, subtle, mysterious.
It wasn't as big as some of the horses. But it was strong, it's body's proportion almost perfect.
It didn't jump or run around wildly like the other horses. But there was something special about the eyes of this horse. So intimidating, so confident, so unyielding.
This horse, everybody realized, was the champion of all the horses.
Everybody gasped as the horse started running.
The horse was running to the princess!
Then in stopped in front of Princess Orchid, and everybody felt touched for a moment by this beautiful scene.
Legolas bowed down and reached his hand out to Orchid.
She flushed and took it. Legolas smoothly swept her up onto the horse.
And everybody knew then.
That horse was Princess Orchid's horse.
The Champion of all Champions.
