I avoided Daekano when I saw him at breakfast the next morning. I felt his
eyes upon me, as if willing me to turn and meet them. I ate quickly, then
left for my room.
I stopped in the doorway. Daekano was lounging on my white couch, his eyes shut and his arms crossed over his cheek.
"Get out." I growled.
Daekano's eyes fluttered open and he began to grin.
"Leave now."
"Do I frighten you, Luinuial?"
"What?" I snapped.
"You're afraid of me. I can tell."
"Why, praytell, should I be afraid of you, commander?"
He laughed as he stood and walked over to me. I froze as he placed his hand on my cheek. "I was hoping that you would tell me." He tucked a strand of my chocolate hair behind my ear and ran his thumb gently across my cheekbone.
When I didn't answer, he smiled sweetly. "Must I guess?" I was still silent.
"Alright. You're not afraid that I'll hurt you, not physically, that is."
I swallowed and turned away from him.
"You're not afraid of Legolas or any other Mirkwood guard knowing."
He reached out suddenly and pulled me close, and buried his face in the curve of my neck. My breath caught in my throat.
"It is this you are afraid of." He gently kissed my neck. "Why do you fear this?"
I swallowed, and recovered the voice that he had caused me to lose track of. "I- I don't want to talk about it."
"I can't help but wonder, Luinuial, why you haven't pulled away quite yet."
It was true. I was still in his arms, and still allowing him to hold me close. I debated pulling away- I was nearly a married woman, after all- but I stopped myself. He was right- he had always been right. He was all I had ever hoped for. And he was all I could never have.
"What is it?" Daekano asked softly, his gem-like eyes concerned.
I pushed his arms away while I still had coherent thoughts in my mind, and the will to do so. "I can't"
"You can't do what?" he asked, open-mouthed.
"I can't-" I trailed off, then looked deeply into his sparkling blue eyes. "I can't fall in love with you." I whispered.
"Why not?"
"It's dangerous."
"I know." He said, moving closer.
"If they find out, they'll-"
"We won't let them find out." He whispered.
"What if they do? Daekano, we cannot hide it forever, it's impossible!"
"If they were to find out, it would all be worth it."
"How can you be so sure?" Daekano tilted my chin up so that I looked him in the eyes once more.
"Because we were meant to be. Because you are worth it."
"How do you know I am worth it?" I asked softly, remembering all of my faults. "You do not even know me."
"You are worth it, Luinuial. And I hope to come to know you better."
"But-"
"Hush." He growled sternly. He took my face in his hands, and brushed his lips against mine.
"Do not protest anymore, Luinuial. It's hopeless." He added, grinning.
"Daekano." I stared at him. He stood at least half a head taller than I- Legolas was only about an inch taller than me. Daekano was stronger and somewhat heavier built- the prince was no weakling, though, of course. They both had mesmerizing eyes, but I could get lost in Daekano's. I felt safe and respected in both their arms, but in Daekano's I felt.loved.
"What are you thinking?" I was startled back into my senses.
"I am thinking that we are both absolutely insane."
He laughed softly. "So we are, Luinial. So we are."
Before I knew it, his lips were upon mine. It wasn't one of those quick kisses he had given me before- he shocked me with the intensity of the kiss.
"Relax." He murmured. Only then did I realize I was tense in his arms. I allowed myself to relax as he deepened the kiss. I opened my mouth to his and his tongue slipped into my mouth as his hands traveled down my side. I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my hands in his long, silky hair. He slowly pulled me closer, and soon my body was pressed tightly against his. He kissed me with a sort of practiced skill- I had never been kissed by a man before. In Lorien- Lorien!- I was off limits, I was Legolas's wife.
He pulled away as I became tense again at the thought of Legolas. I had nearly forgotten him. That would not do, I could ruin this all by forgetting! Daekano could be. Daekano could be killed if I forgot! If I become careless, his life is forfeit.
"Luinuail. Luinuial I must go. Will you meet me at Lomion's stall once the sunsets tonight? I must go to my shift."
I was quiet.
"Luinuial, will you-" He began again, a slight panic to his voice.
"Yes. Yes, of course." I cut him off. "Of course I will. At sunset." Taking my courage, I pulled his head gently down so that his lips met mine once more. I soon broke the kiss, and he turned towards the door.
"I don't want to leave." He said, stalling between the exit and I.
"Go, Daekano."
"But-"
"Legolas shall be here soon." I added, and gently guided him towards the door. He reached down and took a hold of the doorknob, but then turned around and swept me into his arms once more. Before I knew it his lips were on mine as he kissed me swiftly. "Sunset, my Blue Twilight. Sunset."
I watched him walk down the hall, wishing deep inside my heart that sunset would come soon.
I turned away from the door and went to lie on my couch. A white pillow still smelled of him and I hugged it tightly to my chest, burying my face in it as I waited for Legolas to arrive.
I stopped in the doorway. Daekano was lounging on my white couch, his eyes shut and his arms crossed over his cheek.
"Get out." I growled.
Daekano's eyes fluttered open and he began to grin.
"Leave now."
"Do I frighten you, Luinuial?"
"What?" I snapped.
"You're afraid of me. I can tell."
"Why, praytell, should I be afraid of you, commander?"
He laughed as he stood and walked over to me. I froze as he placed his hand on my cheek. "I was hoping that you would tell me." He tucked a strand of my chocolate hair behind my ear and ran his thumb gently across my cheekbone.
When I didn't answer, he smiled sweetly. "Must I guess?" I was still silent.
"Alright. You're not afraid that I'll hurt you, not physically, that is."
I swallowed and turned away from him.
"You're not afraid of Legolas or any other Mirkwood guard knowing."
He reached out suddenly and pulled me close, and buried his face in the curve of my neck. My breath caught in my throat.
"It is this you are afraid of." He gently kissed my neck. "Why do you fear this?"
I swallowed, and recovered the voice that he had caused me to lose track of. "I- I don't want to talk about it."
"I can't help but wonder, Luinuial, why you haven't pulled away quite yet."
It was true. I was still in his arms, and still allowing him to hold me close. I debated pulling away- I was nearly a married woman, after all- but I stopped myself. He was right- he had always been right. He was all I had ever hoped for. And he was all I could never have.
"What is it?" Daekano asked softly, his gem-like eyes concerned.
I pushed his arms away while I still had coherent thoughts in my mind, and the will to do so. "I can't"
"You can't do what?" he asked, open-mouthed.
"I can't-" I trailed off, then looked deeply into his sparkling blue eyes. "I can't fall in love with you." I whispered.
"Why not?"
"It's dangerous."
"I know." He said, moving closer.
"If they find out, they'll-"
"We won't let them find out." He whispered.
"What if they do? Daekano, we cannot hide it forever, it's impossible!"
"If they were to find out, it would all be worth it."
"How can you be so sure?" Daekano tilted my chin up so that I looked him in the eyes once more.
"Because we were meant to be. Because you are worth it."
"How do you know I am worth it?" I asked softly, remembering all of my faults. "You do not even know me."
"You are worth it, Luinuial. And I hope to come to know you better."
"But-"
"Hush." He growled sternly. He took my face in his hands, and brushed his lips against mine.
"Do not protest anymore, Luinuial. It's hopeless." He added, grinning.
"Daekano." I stared at him. He stood at least half a head taller than I- Legolas was only about an inch taller than me. Daekano was stronger and somewhat heavier built- the prince was no weakling, though, of course. They both had mesmerizing eyes, but I could get lost in Daekano's. I felt safe and respected in both their arms, but in Daekano's I felt.loved.
"What are you thinking?" I was startled back into my senses.
"I am thinking that we are both absolutely insane."
He laughed softly. "So we are, Luinial. So we are."
Before I knew it, his lips were upon mine. It wasn't one of those quick kisses he had given me before- he shocked me with the intensity of the kiss.
"Relax." He murmured. Only then did I realize I was tense in his arms. I allowed myself to relax as he deepened the kiss. I opened my mouth to his and his tongue slipped into my mouth as his hands traveled down my side. I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my hands in his long, silky hair. He slowly pulled me closer, and soon my body was pressed tightly against his. He kissed me with a sort of practiced skill- I had never been kissed by a man before. In Lorien- Lorien!- I was off limits, I was Legolas's wife.
He pulled away as I became tense again at the thought of Legolas. I had nearly forgotten him. That would not do, I could ruin this all by forgetting! Daekano could be. Daekano could be killed if I forgot! If I become careless, his life is forfeit.
"Luinuail. Luinuial I must go. Will you meet me at Lomion's stall once the sunsets tonight? I must go to my shift."
I was quiet.
"Luinuial, will you-" He began again, a slight panic to his voice.
"Yes. Yes, of course." I cut him off. "Of course I will. At sunset." Taking my courage, I pulled his head gently down so that his lips met mine once more. I soon broke the kiss, and he turned towards the door.
"I don't want to leave." He said, stalling between the exit and I.
"Go, Daekano."
"But-"
"Legolas shall be here soon." I added, and gently guided him towards the door. He reached down and took a hold of the doorknob, but then turned around and swept me into his arms once more. Before I knew it his lips were on mine as he kissed me swiftly. "Sunset, my Blue Twilight. Sunset."
I watched him walk down the hall, wishing deep inside my heart that sunset would come soon.
I turned away from the door and went to lie on my couch. A white pillow still smelled of him and I hugged it tightly to my chest, burying my face in it as I waited for Legolas to arrive.
