Disclaimer- Refer to chapter one.
Thank you all my reviewers. You are all wonderful!
A/N- My dearest readers and reviewers~
Things will be slowing down a bit as school is catching up with me. I am approaching midterm time now, and test and projects are looming on the horizon. Please bear with me over the next few weeks if my updates seem to not be as frequent as normal or as long as usual.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dancing in the Moonlight
Narawen situated the basket on her arm into a more comfortable position and continued to stroll down the narrow lane. If the colorful booths lining both sides of the walkway did not hem the lady in enough, the teeming crowd of elves milling all around her most certainly did, but that was to be expected. She had not come to the market place with illusions of a pleasant amble under the stars. The market was like this every week, though the number of elves present was larger than what was usually normal. Narawen blamed it on the date; the first day of winter for elves in the Valinor. Merchants always came out with a copious mixture of all their best goods at the turning of each season.
'Stay close to me Valia,' Narawen instructed her daughter, pulling on the sleeve of her dress to maneuver her closer to her side. It was far too easy to get separated from shopping partners on market day. Staying close would have been a difficult task in the day, but trying to do so at night with the moon and stars in the sky and torches on the ground as the only light made it a chore unto itself. Half the time, elves would plan on meeting their family back at their houses since it was near impossible to stay together while shopping.
'Do you have everything you need mother?' asked Valia.
'I think so my dear. Are you done?'
Valia sent a bleak look down at her empty basket before shaking her head. 'I wanted to find a new clasp for my hair,' she said, looking into the mass of elven bodies and then back at her mother. 'You look weary. I can manage on my own. Go home without me.' Valia leaned over and kissed her mother's cheek.
'Are you sure, dearest?' Narawen swept a loose strand of hair away from Valia's face and cupped a hand under her chin. 'I will stay if you want me to.'
'No, go home and rest.' Reaching up, Valia gently squeezed her mother's arm in reassurance. 'I shall be fine. Namarie.'
'Goodbye my dear. Do not spend too much time out here,' she admonished before turning and fading into the bustling crowd.
Valia stood still for a few minutes and let all the activity fade away from her as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A cacophony of scents assaulted her; rich herbs, sweet perfume, and heady incense all swirling together amidst the cool night air. Sounds became distinct. The lilts of different elven dialects saturated the atmosphere, harmonizing with scattered strands of music and the subtle rustling of clothing.
Opening her eyes again, Valia let the flow of elves direct her path. She was content to drift with the current, her eyes roving the many booths was careless abandon. Eärendil had sailed over half the evening sky when she was jolted from her tranquil reverie.
'Excuse me,' Valia apologized to the elf she had smacked into. 'I was not watching where I was going. My humblest apologies my lord.' The elf ignored her pious words of contrition and walked away, leaving Valia to glance around her surroundings to gain some sense of orientation. She was delighted to see that a large booth of lady's accessories was situated a few steps away from her present location and made a hasty trail over to it.
The booth did not have the kind of clasps she wanted for her hair though. The vendor obviously dealt with affluent patrons for there was not a hairpiece on his display table that did not boast some jewel or precious metal. Most of the accessories were too gaudy for Valia to waste a second glance on, but a tiny flash of green in the sea of gems caught her eye and she turned to examine the origin of the light. It was a small hairpin, not in the least what she was looking for, but she could not help admiring the simple beauty and elegance of the jewelry.
'You like it?' a familiar voice asked softly, suddenly manifesting from behind her. The owner of the voice stood so close to her that his loose hair brushed against Valia's neck. She reached up to vigorously rub the tingling sensation out of her sensitive skin that the contact created as she swiveled to face him.
'It is pretty,' she observed. Her cautious words sounded ridiculous to even herself and she allowed herself the luxury of a snort at her own expense. The hairpin was gorgeous. An emerald gem was encircled with white diamonds and silver swirls fashioned in graceful arcs looped around the jewels to curve into the fastenings for the pin.
'Only pretty? I had thought it was amazing on first glance, but I see your point,' Legolas nodded gravely. 'I know how to remedy the problem.' He indicated to the vendor to come over and the elf was more than willing to oblige him since Legolas' clothing and circlet revealed him to be of royal blood. Every shrewd business owner knew royalty meant money.
'Can I help you with something my lord?'
'Yes, I would like to see that if I may.' He gestured to the hairpin placed securely inside a glass box.
'Ah, you have excellent taste,' he complimented, taking a key out from a hidden pocket and unlocking the glass door. 'Would you like anything else my lord?' The elf cradled the hairpin in his hand, gently transferring it into the prince's when he declined further help. Stepping back a pace for the sake of discretion, the vendor watched Legolas examine the piece critically.
'What do you think Valia?' he asked, holding out the pin for her to scan.
'I think it is just as pretty as it was before,' she declared neutrally, turning her attention back to the table in an attempt to appear uninterested in the jeweled hairpiece.
Legolas glanced down at the pin in his hand, twirling it between his lean fingers. He looked up at Valia then back down again indecisively; trying to grasp at his courage that had decided that right then was the perfect time to desert him. Taking a gulp of air, he calmed his suddenly riotous emotions and moved closer to Valia, nestling the hairpin into her mass of golden tresses with infinite care. Her sudden stilling did not go unnoticed by him, but he chose to ignore it and toyed with the pin before dropping his hand to his side. 'It is no longer pretty anymore. Now it is lovely,' he whispered, admiring the contrast between the dark green emerald and her shiny hair. The torchlight played with the stone, making it burst into a rainbow of light whenever Valia moved her head.
Seeing the perfect moment to make a sale, the owner stepped forward again and made his presence known. 'The pin looks as if it were made for your hair, my lady. I do not think Lady Celebrian herself could do it any more justice.' Legolas bobbed his head up and down in agreement and the shimmering movement of his hair drew the vendor's attention his way. 'Surely you will not deprive your bewitching lady of such a becoming treasure?'
'I am afraid you are mistaken good sir,' Legolas said, watching as the glow on the merchant's face diminished. 'She is not my lady.'
'Not your lady...?' The elf's face took on its cheery hue again and he laughed. 'Well if you have no claim on her perhaps I shall take her back with the jewel,' he jested. Valia felt her face grow warm and pressed the back of her hand to her cheeks, attempting to cool the sudden heat.
'I fear I cannot let you do that.' Legolas slid an arm around Valia's slender waist and drew her to his side in mock protection. He touched the hairpin again before turning back to the vendor. 'You are a clever elf,' laughed Legolas. 'You force me to purchase the pin to save the lady. What is your price?' he asked gallantly.
'Legolas,' Valia protested with a tug on his tunic but trailed off when she was ignored by both elves.
'You can have it for ten gold coins,' the elf proclaimed.
'Ten gold coins! You could buy an entire wardrobe for a maiden with that much money. Legolas!' But again, her protests appeared to fall on unhearing ears.
'Five,' Legolas offered.
'Nine.'
'Six.'
'Eight.'
'Seven, and that is the most you can hope to get out of me for it.'
'Agreed, if you will oblige me by humoring my eccentricities and kissing your fair companion. It is a fine night out and seeing a lover's kiss under the starlight would bring joy to my heart.'
'Excuse me?' bellowed Valia, losing all ladylike decorum in her address. She had been coerced into kissing Legolas once and she was not about to let history repeat itself, especially when he had called it a lover's kiss. Besides, the request was far too random to not have a deeper meaning than the reason the vendor gave. Valia's notion was confirmed when she saw the amused glimmer in the elf's eyes and her mouth dropped open when Legolas spoke.
'Done,' declared Legolas with a smug smile and resolute demeanor. He opened a small bag of cloth attached to his belt and dropped five gold coins into the outstretched hand of the jeweler. Tying the opening of the pouch once more, Legolas turned to Valia and his head tilted to the side in his characteristic fashion. Despite her growing ire, Valia could not stop the amused smile from appearing on her lips. She could see the flash of uncertainty in his eyes as he considered her as if she were a wild creature who would suddenly attack though unprovoked. The emotion disappeared as quickly as it had emerged, covered by Legolas' elven façade of detachment.
As he drew her to him she vaguely wondered if she liked the fact that he could look down at her while she was in his arms without showing the slightest hint of feelings. However the thought flew from her mind as Legolas studied her face, brushing his knuckles along her high cheekbone. He raised a brow when she made no move to pull away; she herself was surprised at her complacency, and dropped his head to hers in a chaste kiss devoid of any passion or feeling. The only thing that permeated the contact was his overwhelming warmth. It seemed to penetrate Valia's very being, pouring strength and peace into her soul that she did not know was missing. The feeling terrified her, or rather the fact that she liked how it felt and could not find the determination to pull away.
Legolas was the first to break away and his warmth went with him, shocking Valia into reality. What had she just done? She was horrified at her actions, or lack of action in extricating herself from his embrace, and her frustration made her bite down hard on the inside of her cheek and clench her fists. Hopefully Legolas would not interpret her willingness for mistaken feelings of love. She silently cursed herself, warning against sending such impressions his way. Her only solace was the thought that he had promised not to develop a lover's affection for her. The honor he possessed would not allow him to break his pledge to her. A consoling idea for Valia's appalled feelings towards herself.
Legolas saw her sculpted brows furrow together as she flushed a shade of red he could only attribute to anger at him. He had been rash. He should not have kissed her without asking first, should never have agreed to the kiss as part of the bargain in the first place. But it was too late now, and Legolas feared that he had several days of misery ahead of him before he would be back in Valia's good graces. He did not regret the kiss however. It had been quite...warm.
Taking her arm, Legolas inclined his head to the grinning vendor in acknowledgment and whisked Valia into the crowd on his arm. They walked side by side in silence. Legolas was aware of the tense muscles in Valia's arm and could almost feel the palpable fury emanating from her body.
'You are angry with me,' he observed aloud, not looking directly at her. Instead he settled his eyes on an unfixed point in the distance and waited for her to answer.
'No,' she said at last.
'Do not lie to me Valia. You only mock our friendship by doing such.'
Now that was a thought to consider. She had found Legolas to be a trustworthy companion over their several months' acquaintance and had come to the conclusion that she could tell him almost anything without having to worry about the consequences. Why would he think she was lying to him?
'I am not mad at you,' she clarified. 'I am angry with myself.'
'Why?'
Valia struggled with the urge to give him a superficial answer that would sate his probing curiosity. 'I fear I give you the wrong impression,' she said, deciding to be honest, no matter how hard it was for her to admit such a thing.
Legolas paused, his sudden halt forcing Valia to stop beside him. She looked up at his face to see concern etched on his fair features. 'You have never given me the wrong impression,' he told her with utmost sincerity and conviction. 'Why do you doubt yourself so often? You are a wonderful elven maiden with beautiful blue eyes and golden hair. You have more sense than many of your peers and can carry on a sensible conversation. Why do you refuse to see anything good about yourself?'
'I do not doubt myself.' Valia licked her suddenly dry lips and was relieved when Legolas made no further comment and continued walking again.
Reaching up, Valia ran her long fingers over the valuable jewels in her hair. Besides the circlet and necklace she had worn as the Lady of the Stars, the hairpin was the most expensive adornment that had graced her body since coming to the Valinor. She slid her fingers along the scrolling silver before reluctantly slipping the pin out of her hair and examining it. The flash of the emerald as it reflected the starlight looked strangely familiar to her, but she could not place the resemblance with anything else and shrugged the thought away.
She would not mind having the hairpin, but that was quite impossible since Legolas now owned it. Silently she held out the jewelry in front of him to take. The sooner it was out of her hands the better.
'You do not think I bought that to wear in my hair,' he said with a wave of dismissal.
'I should hope not,' Valia said with a laugh, still holding the hairpiece out to him.
'I have no need for a lady's hairpin,' said Legolas. 'I am sure you could find a better use for it than I. It would only sit in some drawer in my room, never to see the light of the sun.'
'I am sorry to hear that, Legolas. Perhaps you should not have bought it than. That was a handsome sum of money to spend on a trinket you will never use.' Valia continued to offer the pin to him and began to grow vexed when he was unrelenting in refusing the object. 'My hand is tired. Will you please take your pin?' she asked bluntly. To her relief he granted her wish, taking his purchase from her without any argument. Valia smiled smugly at her small triumph of ridding herself of the pin. She was not stupid enough to be oblivious to what Legolas was trying to do.
However Legolas was not oblivious either. No sooner was the pin in his hand than he placed it back in Valia's hair to her absolute consternation. He ignored her discomfort and smiled a beautiful smile that always got him what he wanted. 'A gift for you,' he explained.
'I cannot accept such a gift!' cried Valia. 'It is too generous. Elves would talk.'
'Since when do you care what others say about you? If anyone asks, tell them it was my gift of appreciation for all your help in my research endeavors.'
'I still cannot accept it. It is too much.' Valia shook her head and reached up to take the pin out of her hair. Legolas caught her hand before she could complete her task and pulled it away from the jewels.
'Do not make me order you to keep it. It would ruin the gift and dampen my joy in giving it to you. Keep it as my thank you for befriending me against your will and as a reminder of me when I return to my father's kingdom.'
'Very well,' said Valia and she straightened her back to appear as unaffected as possible by the amazing gift. 'Thank you.'
'You are most welcome, Valia.' Legolas strode forward with a sudden air of purpose and led Valia in and out of the bustling crowd of elves.
'Where are we going?' she asked.
'To find Isondil, Silia, and Elrohir. I left them just outside of the market area in the woods. Elrohir wanted to become acquainted with the new harp he bought and Isondil and Silia wished to hear him play while I looked around the booths some more.'
It did not take very long to find his companions. The music from Elrohir's harp and his soft singing made it easy for Legolas and Valia to make their way through the trees whose leaves had turned silver in the moonlight and locate the tiny group. They stayed on the edge of the small clearing, hidden under the shade of the trees as they watched their friends from a distance. Elrohir sat on the trunk of a large willow tree, bent sideways by a storm in its younger days. Standing together on the soft grass, Isondil and Silia held each other close, dancing to Elrohir's music.
Everyone looked up when Legolas and Valia emerged from the shadows, but they did not stop what they were doing, only nodded their heads in acknowledgement of their presence before turning back to their former activities. Legolas took Valia's basket from her, placing it on the ground, and then led her near Isondil and Silia and into a position to dance without asking.
'What are you doing?' Valia whispered as they began to sway to the music.
'Dancing,' Legolas returned. 'I thought it was fairly obvious,' he added with a mischievous grin.
'Why?' she asked.
'Because you are one of the only elven maidens it is safe to do so with without me having to worry about you getting any wrong impressions. I love to dance and rarely get the chance to at home. You would not deny me an innocent dance under the moonlight would you?' He knew his eyes held some kind of power over her and he purposefully caught her gaze with his own, raising an eyebrow in question.
'That is not fair,' whined Valia, but she sighed and resigned herself to letting him twirl her to the relaxing music. It was actually quite intoxicating dancing in the moonlight, underneath the dazzling blaze of stars but that was only natural for the elven race who had always been entranced by the stars of Varda. Dancing under them was like the sweetest elven wine and Valia felt an inner battle beginning to brew, either to stop herself than before it was too late or let the call of the starlight and feel of Legolas' arms around her lull her into oblivion.
She was not given the choice of deciding however, for which she was grateful.
A squeal that could only be attributed to a giddy elven maiden broke the tranquil night air. Valia and Legolas turned to see Silia leap into Isondil's arms, clinging to him while she pressed a rapid trail of kisses across his face. The smile of bliss that covered Isondil's face seemed to brighten his entire being, creating an aura of pale light around the couple. Isondil caught Silia's wandering lips with his own and pulled her close against him.
Clearing her throat, Valia turned away slightly and looked into the trees with feigned concentration. Such expressive displays of public affection were not sights Valia was used to seeing.
'Valia!' Silia abruptly broke loose from Isondil and ran to her friend, pulling her into a tight embrace. Isondil smiled and turned to Legolas. All the two friends needed was to share a look with each other before Legolas knew what had happened.
'Congratulations,' he mouthed to Isondil, who bobbed his head merrily before turning back to the maidens.
'What has gotten into you?' Valia asked when Silia released her and she was able to breathe again.
Silia held up her hand to reveal a silver band around her index finger. 'I am betrothed,' she said with a grin of pure happiness.
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Please leave an email address with your review so that I can send you a thank you : )
Thank you all my reviewers. You are all wonderful!
A/N- My dearest readers and reviewers~
Things will be slowing down a bit as school is catching up with me. I am approaching midterm time now, and test and projects are looming on the horizon. Please bear with me over the next few weeks if my updates seem to not be as frequent as normal or as long as usual.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dancing in the Moonlight
Narawen situated the basket on her arm into a more comfortable position and continued to stroll down the narrow lane. If the colorful booths lining both sides of the walkway did not hem the lady in enough, the teeming crowd of elves milling all around her most certainly did, but that was to be expected. She had not come to the market place with illusions of a pleasant amble under the stars. The market was like this every week, though the number of elves present was larger than what was usually normal. Narawen blamed it on the date; the first day of winter for elves in the Valinor. Merchants always came out with a copious mixture of all their best goods at the turning of each season.
'Stay close to me Valia,' Narawen instructed her daughter, pulling on the sleeve of her dress to maneuver her closer to her side. It was far too easy to get separated from shopping partners on market day. Staying close would have been a difficult task in the day, but trying to do so at night with the moon and stars in the sky and torches on the ground as the only light made it a chore unto itself. Half the time, elves would plan on meeting their family back at their houses since it was near impossible to stay together while shopping.
'Do you have everything you need mother?' asked Valia.
'I think so my dear. Are you done?'
Valia sent a bleak look down at her empty basket before shaking her head. 'I wanted to find a new clasp for my hair,' she said, looking into the mass of elven bodies and then back at her mother. 'You look weary. I can manage on my own. Go home without me.' Valia leaned over and kissed her mother's cheek.
'Are you sure, dearest?' Narawen swept a loose strand of hair away from Valia's face and cupped a hand under her chin. 'I will stay if you want me to.'
'No, go home and rest.' Reaching up, Valia gently squeezed her mother's arm in reassurance. 'I shall be fine. Namarie.'
'Goodbye my dear. Do not spend too much time out here,' she admonished before turning and fading into the bustling crowd.
Valia stood still for a few minutes and let all the activity fade away from her as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A cacophony of scents assaulted her; rich herbs, sweet perfume, and heady incense all swirling together amidst the cool night air. Sounds became distinct. The lilts of different elven dialects saturated the atmosphere, harmonizing with scattered strands of music and the subtle rustling of clothing.
Opening her eyes again, Valia let the flow of elves direct her path. She was content to drift with the current, her eyes roving the many booths was careless abandon. Eärendil had sailed over half the evening sky when she was jolted from her tranquil reverie.
'Excuse me,' Valia apologized to the elf she had smacked into. 'I was not watching where I was going. My humblest apologies my lord.' The elf ignored her pious words of contrition and walked away, leaving Valia to glance around her surroundings to gain some sense of orientation. She was delighted to see that a large booth of lady's accessories was situated a few steps away from her present location and made a hasty trail over to it.
The booth did not have the kind of clasps she wanted for her hair though. The vendor obviously dealt with affluent patrons for there was not a hairpiece on his display table that did not boast some jewel or precious metal. Most of the accessories were too gaudy for Valia to waste a second glance on, but a tiny flash of green in the sea of gems caught her eye and she turned to examine the origin of the light. It was a small hairpin, not in the least what she was looking for, but she could not help admiring the simple beauty and elegance of the jewelry.
'You like it?' a familiar voice asked softly, suddenly manifesting from behind her. The owner of the voice stood so close to her that his loose hair brushed against Valia's neck. She reached up to vigorously rub the tingling sensation out of her sensitive skin that the contact created as she swiveled to face him.
'It is pretty,' she observed. Her cautious words sounded ridiculous to even herself and she allowed herself the luxury of a snort at her own expense. The hairpin was gorgeous. An emerald gem was encircled with white diamonds and silver swirls fashioned in graceful arcs looped around the jewels to curve into the fastenings for the pin.
'Only pretty? I had thought it was amazing on first glance, but I see your point,' Legolas nodded gravely. 'I know how to remedy the problem.' He indicated to the vendor to come over and the elf was more than willing to oblige him since Legolas' clothing and circlet revealed him to be of royal blood. Every shrewd business owner knew royalty meant money.
'Can I help you with something my lord?'
'Yes, I would like to see that if I may.' He gestured to the hairpin placed securely inside a glass box.
'Ah, you have excellent taste,' he complimented, taking a key out from a hidden pocket and unlocking the glass door. 'Would you like anything else my lord?' The elf cradled the hairpin in his hand, gently transferring it into the prince's when he declined further help. Stepping back a pace for the sake of discretion, the vendor watched Legolas examine the piece critically.
'What do you think Valia?' he asked, holding out the pin for her to scan.
'I think it is just as pretty as it was before,' she declared neutrally, turning her attention back to the table in an attempt to appear uninterested in the jeweled hairpiece.
Legolas glanced down at the pin in his hand, twirling it between his lean fingers. He looked up at Valia then back down again indecisively; trying to grasp at his courage that had decided that right then was the perfect time to desert him. Taking a gulp of air, he calmed his suddenly riotous emotions and moved closer to Valia, nestling the hairpin into her mass of golden tresses with infinite care. Her sudden stilling did not go unnoticed by him, but he chose to ignore it and toyed with the pin before dropping his hand to his side. 'It is no longer pretty anymore. Now it is lovely,' he whispered, admiring the contrast between the dark green emerald and her shiny hair. The torchlight played with the stone, making it burst into a rainbow of light whenever Valia moved her head.
Seeing the perfect moment to make a sale, the owner stepped forward again and made his presence known. 'The pin looks as if it were made for your hair, my lady. I do not think Lady Celebrian herself could do it any more justice.' Legolas bobbed his head up and down in agreement and the shimmering movement of his hair drew the vendor's attention his way. 'Surely you will not deprive your bewitching lady of such a becoming treasure?'
'I am afraid you are mistaken good sir,' Legolas said, watching as the glow on the merchant's face diminished. 'She is not my lady.'
'Not your lady...?' The elf's face took on its cheery hue again and he laughed. 'Well if you have no claim on her perhaps I shall take her back with the jewel,' he jested. Valia felt her face grow warm and pressed the back of her hand to her cheeks, attempting to cool the sudden heat.
'I fear I cannot let you do that.' Legolas slid an arm around Valia's slender waist and drew her to his side in mock protection. He touched the hairpin again before turning back to the vendor. 'You are a clever elf,' laughed Legolas. 'You force me to purchase the pin to save the lady. What is your price?' he asked gallantly.
'Legolas,' Valia protested with a tug on his tunic but trailed off when she was ignored by both elves.
'You can have it for ten gold coins,' the elf proclaimed.
'Ten gold coins! You could buy an entire wardrobe for a maiden with that much money. Legolas!' But again, her protests appeared to fall on unhearing ears.
'Five,' Legolas offered.
'Nine.'
'Six.'
'Eight.'
'Seven, and that is the most you can hope to get out of me for it.'
'Agreed, if you will oblige me by humoring my eccentricities and kissing your fair companion. It is a fine night out and seeing a lover's kiss under the starlight would bring joy to my heart.'
'Excuse me?' bellowed Valia, losing all ladylike decorum in her address. She had been coerced into kissing Legolas once and she was not about to let history repeat itself, especially when he had called it a lover's kiss. Besides, the request was far too random to not have a deeper meaning than the reason the vendor gave. Valia's notion was confirmed when she saw the amused glimmer in the elf's eyes and her mouth dropped open when Legolas spoke.
'Done,' declared Legolas with a smug smile and resolute demeanor. He opened a small bag of cloth attached to his belt and dropped five gold coins into the outstretched hand of the jeweler. Tying the opening of the pouch once more, Legolas turned to Valia and his head tilted to the side in his characteristic fashion. Despite her growing ire, Valia could not stop the amused smile from appearing on her lips. She could see the flash of uncertainty in his eyes as he considered her as if she were a wild creature who would suddenly attack though unprovoked. The emotion disappeared as quickly as it had emerged, covered by Legolas' elven façade of detachment.
As he drew her to him she vaguely wondered if she liked the fact that he could look down at her while she was in his arms without showing the slightest hint of feelings. However the thought flew from her mind as Legolas studied her face, brushing his knuckles along her high cheekbone. He raised a brow when she made no move to pull away; she herself was surprised at her complacency, and dropped his head to hers in a chaste kiss devoid of any passion or feeling. The only thing that permeated the contact was his overwhelming warmth. It seemed to penetrate Valia's very being, pouring strength and peace into her soul that she did not know was missing. The feeling terrified her, or rather the fact that she liked how it felt and could not find the determination to pull away.
Legolas was the first to break away and his warmth went with him, shocking Valia into reality. What had she just done? She was horrified at her actions, or lack of action in extricating herself from his embrace, and her frustration made her bite down hard on the inside of her cheek and clench her fists. Hopefully Legolas would not interpret her willingness for mistaken feelings of love. She silently cursed herself, warning against sending such impressions his way. Her only solace was the thought that he had promised not to develop a lover's affection for her. The honor he possessed would not allow him to break his pledge to her. A consoling idea for Valia's appalled feelings towards herself.
Legolas saw her sculpted brows furrow together as she flushed a shade of red he could only attribute to anger at him. He had been rash. He should not have kissed her without asking first, should never have agreed to the kiss as part of the bargain in the first place. But it was too late now, and Legolas feared that he had several days of misery ahead of him before he would be back in Valia's good graces. He did not regret the kiss however. It had been quite...warm.
Taking her arm, Legolas inclined his head to the grinning vendor in acknowledgment and whisked Valia into the crowd on his arm. They walked side by side in silence. Legolas was aware of the tense muscles in Valia's arm and could almost feel the palpable fury emanating from her body.
'You are angry with me,' he observed aloud, not looking directly at her. Instead he settled his eyes on an unfixed point in the distance and waited for her to answer.
'No,' she said at last.
'Do not lie to me Valia. You only mock our friendship by doing such.'
Now that was a thought to consider. She had found Legolas to be a trustworthy companion over their several months' acquaintance and had come to the conclusion that she could tell him almost anything without having to worry about the consequences. Why would he think she was lying to him?
'I am not mad at you,' she clarified. 'I am angry with myself.'
'Why?'
Valia struggled with the urge to give him a superficial answer that would sate his probing curiosity. 'I fear I give you the wrong impression,' she said, deciding to be honest, no matter how hard it was for her to admit such a thing.
Legolas paused, his sudden halt forcing Valia to stop beside him. She looked up at his face to see concern etched on his fair features. 'You have never given me the wrong impression,' he told her with utmost sincerity and conviction. 'Why do you doubt yourself so often? You are a wonderful elven maiden with beautiful blue eyes and golden hair. You have more sense than many of your peers and can carry on a sensible conversation. Why do you refuse to see anything good about yourself?'
'I do not doubt myself.' Valia licked her suddenly dry lips and was relieved when Legolas made no further comment and continued walking again.
Reaching up, Valia ran her long fingers over the valuable jewels in her hair. Besides the circlet and necklace she had worn as the Lady of the Stars, the hairpin was the most expensive adornment that had graced her body since coming to the Valinor. She slid her fingers along the scrolling silver before reluctantly slipping the pin out of her hair and examining it. The flash of the emerald as it reflected the starlight looked strangely familiar to her, but she could not place the resemblance with anything else and shrugged the thought away.
She would not mind having the hairpin, but that was quite impossible since Legolas now owned it. Silently she held out the jewelry in front of him to take. The sooner it was out of her hands the better.
'You do not think I bought that to wear in my hair,' he said with a wave of dismissal.
'I should hope not,' Valia said with a laugh, still holding the hairpiece out to him.
'I have no need for a lady's hairpin,' said Legolas. 'I am sure you could find a better use for it than I. It would only sit in some drawer in my room, never to see the light of the sun.'
'I am sorry to hear that, Legolas. Perhaps you should not have bought it than. That was a handsome sum of money to spend on a trinket you will never use.' Valia continued to offer the pin to him and began to grow vexed when he was unrelenting in refusing the object. 'My hand is tired. Will you please take your pin?' she asked bluntly. To her relief he granted her wish, taking his purchase from her without any argument. Valia smiled smugly at her small triumph of ridding herself of the pin. She was not stupid enough to be oblivious to what Legolas was trying to do.
However Legolas was not oblivious either. No sooner was the pin in his hand than he placed it back in Valia's hair to her absolute consternation. He ignored her discomfort and smiled a beautiful smile that always got him what he wanted. 'A gift for you,' he explained.
'I cannot accept such a gift!' cried Valia. 'It is too generous. Elves would talk.'
'Since when do you care what others say about you? If anyone asks, tell them it was my gift of appreciation for all your help in my research endeavors.'
'I still cannot accept it. It is too much.' Valia shook her head and reached up to take the pin out of her hair. Legolas caught her hand before she could complete her task and pulled it away from the jewels.
'Do not make me order you to keep it. It would ruin the gift and dampen my joy in giving it to you. Keep it as my thank you for befriending me against your will and as a reminder of me when I return to my father's kingdom.'
'Very well,' said Valia and she straightened her back to appear as unaffected as possible by the amazing gift. 'Thank you.'
'You are most welcome, Valia.' Legolas strode forward with a sudden air of purpose and led Valia in and out of the bustling crowd of elves.
'Where are we going?' she asked.
'To find Isondil, Silia, and Elrohir. I left them just outside of the market area in the woods. Elrohir wanted to become acquainted with the new harp he bought and Isondil and Silia wished to hear him play while I looked around the booths some more.'
It did not take very long to find his companions. The music from Elrohir's harp and his soft singing made it easy for Legolas and Valia to make their way through the trees whose leaves had turned silver in the moonlight and locate the tiny group. They stayed on the edge of the small clearing, hidden under the shade of the trees as they watched their friends from a distance. Elrohir sat on the trunk of a large willow tree, bent sideways by a storm in its younger days. Standing together on the soft grass, Isondil and Silia held each other close, dancing to Elrohir's music.
Everyone looked up when Legolas and Valia emerged from the shadows, but they did not stop what they were doing, only nodded their heads in acknowledgement of their presence before turning back to their former activities. Legolas took Valia's basket from her, placing it on the ground, and then led her near Isondil and Silia and into a position to dance without asking.
'What are you doing?' Valia whispered as they began to sway to the music.
'Dancing,' Legolas returned. 'I thought it was fairly obvious,' he added with a mischievous grin.
'Why?' she asked.
'Because you are one of the only elven maidens it is safe to do so with without me having to worry about you getting any wrong impressions. I love to dance and rarely get the chance to at home. You would not deny me an innocent dance under the moonlight would you?' He knew his eyes held some kind of power over her and he purposefully caught her gaze with his own, raising an eyebrow in question.
'That is not fair,' whined Valia, but she sighed and resigned herself to letting him twirl her to the relaxing music. It was actually quite intoxicating dancing in the moonlight, underneath the dazzling blaze of stars but that was only natural for the elven race who had always been entranced by the stars of Varda. Dancing under them was like the sweetest elven wine and Valia felt an inner battle beginning to brew, either to stop herself than before it was too late or let the call of the starlight and feel of Legolas' arms around her lull her into oblivion.
She was not given the choice of deciding however, for which she was grateful.
A squeal that could only be attributed to a giddy elven maiden broke the tranquil night air. Valia and Legolas turned to see Silia leap into Isondil's arms, clinging to him while she pressed a rapid trail of kisses across his face. The smile of bliss that covered Isondil's face seemed to brighten his entire being, creating an aura of pale light around the couple. Isondil caught Silia's wandering lips with his own and pulled her close against him.
Clearing her throat, Valia turned away slightly and looked into the trees with feigned concentration. Such expressive displays of public affection were not sights Valia was used to seeing.
'Valia!' Silia abruptly broke loose from Isondil and ran to her friend, pulling her into a tight embrace. Isondil smiled and turned to Legolas. All the two friends needed was to share a look with each other before Legolas knew what had happened.
'Congratulations,' he mouthed to Isondil, who bobbed his head merrily before turning back to the maidens.
'What has gotten into you?' Valia asked when Silia released her and she was able to breathe again.
Silia held up her hand to reveal a silver band around her index finger. 'I am betrothed,' she said with a grin of pure happiness.
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