Shadow of the Past

by Lady Silma

Valia is an elf with a dark secret. Legolas meets her in the Valinor while visiting Elrond and doesn't know what to think. She thinks he's arrogant, and doesn't care who he is, as long as he stays far away. Will an innocent bet force the two together?

30. Shadow of the Past: Part One

Disclaimer- Refer to Chapter One

Title: Shadow of the Past

Author: Silmarien

Rating: PG

A/N- Thanks for over 500 reviews! You girls/guys amaze me. I will be on holiday starting this Friday until March 31. I don't know if I will be able to update at all during this time so if there is no update until after I get back home, don't panic. I will try my hardest to get one out during that time though :)

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Shadow of the Past: Part One

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Legolas was restless. In three days time he was to travel back to his father's realm with the new agricultural information he had acquired from Lord Elrond's library. Preparations for the departure had commenced the same day the letter had arrived from King Thranduil bidding his son to return to Laiquarille. The journey back would take longer than the one Isondil and he had made coming to Earsilme, mainly because they would have a third companion with them. Silia, Isondil's one true love, would be making the journey with them to leave her home and join Isondil in marriage when they reached Laiquarille. The wedding was to take place when winter came, fulfilling the obligatory year of betrothal, and Silia was to stay at one of her kinsman's houses until the time Isondil could take her to his own house as his wife.

The invigorating wind against his face did little to pull Legolas out of his reverie. Approaching his pack, he plunged his hand into the cloth to ascertain that he had brought Valia's gift with him, not caring that he had already checked no less than ten times since arriving at the practice fields. He was satisfied to feel the hard surface of the wooden box, the grain of the wood doing much to calm his agitated nerves as he pulled his hand out of the bag and picked his bow up off the ground to cradle in his hands.

The day before, he had asked Valia to meet him for one more practice on the archery field. She had readily agreed, a bright flicker of pleasure lighting her eyes at the idea of another chance to improve her skills which were sorely lacking despite all of Legolas' previous help. Her inability to master the bow as well as she did the sword did not seem to perturb her; she would simply laugh away her inefficiency and pluck another arrow out of her quiver to notch it to the string of her bow again and again, never seeming to become discouraged at her inadequacy.

'After all, when will I ever need to defend myself with bow or sword?' seemed to be one of her favorite phrases when she attempted to justify her poor skills to Legolas. The Prince had proven to be the perfect teacher for her, never growing weary of her persistent failure to bury her arrow any closer than the fifth ring from the center of the target, though she was unaware of the true reason for his patience with her. If she had been one of his elven warrior's he had been wont to train in his days in Mirkwood, she would have long ago received the full strength of his ire at her lack of improvement, which was nothing to laugh at. But as they said, love was blind and covered a multitude of sins, or incompetence as was Valia's case, and Legolas had remained patient at her many mistakes, gently correcting her wrong hand position or horrid stance.   

And now Legolas found himself standing in the waning light of the afternoon sun, pacing back and forth; a habit he had developed at an early age when something important was on his mind. It was how his father had always known when something was wrong with the little golden haired elfling.

Legolas absently ran his fingers over the elvish runes etched into his bow. Where is she? He hoped Glorfindel had not stalled Valia. Legolas had been rather successful in keeping Valia away from the returned elf lord, though he thought it had more to do with the fact that Valia had grown somewhat clingy as the remaining week with her friends drew to a close rather than the fact that she preferred Legolas' company to Glorfindel's. Not that Legolas had complained. He had born her requests of him with patience that only love could bestow, singing when she asked him for a song, stopping his preparations for leaving when she interrupted him at a bad time, and escorting her to the dinning hall, the library, or her home whenever she hinted that she did not wish to go somewhere alone.

He felt a longing in his heart every time he looked at her and had the most difficult time not pulling her into his arms and nuzzling his nose against her neck when she turned her turbulent blue eyes his direction. There had been no repetition of her affectionate behavior in his room after Glorfindel's arrival, but Legolas was not disturbed by that, instead thankful that there had been no negative repercussions as he expected there would be. Yet again, he attributed it to her sadness at their approaching departure. It seemed that she had been rendered sentimental, letting Legolas get away with far more than he had ever been able to before. She had not flinched away from him when he pressed his lips to her forehead, had not swatted his hand away when he reached out to comb her hair with his fingers. He found that her leniency even extended as far as he was able to draw her into his arms more than once when they had parted ways at the end of the day. It was obvious that Valia did not think much of his persistent hand reaching for hers. After all, it would all cease in a week's time, but Legolas had the hopes that after his gift to her that she would soon be joining him in Laiquarille in less than a year.

But the thought of the promise he had made to her at the beginning of their friendship refused to be pushed aside. It clamored for an answer that would appease the flames of betrayal that threatened to burst forth at the revelation of his love. He had sworn to her that he would not fall in love. Did Valia realize how hard it was to keep such a promise, how it was she herself that made it impossible for him to remain faithful to his word? Surely she would understand and forgive him. He knew that there was love for him in her heart, guarded behind her thick walls that separated her from everyone else.  He had seen it. It existed as indisputably as his love did for her. He only hoped that it was enough.

Hadrielia's warning kept surfacing in his mind with the same persistence of the pounding surf, but he refused to let the elven maiden's words bother him. True, Valia did have some past memory that seemed to plague her, he saw it in the occasional dimming of her eyes, but he did not think it was anything to worry about. He had delicately brought up Valia's past before, tentatively touching on the subject, but she had deftly directed the conversation to another topic and Legolas had been content to let her avoid the subject, confident that she would bring it up of her own volition when she deemed the time to be right. 

Legolas' sensitive ears picked up the quiet movement of an elf in the forest and he smiled when his keen eyes picked up a glimmer of honey colored hair. The first thing he noticed when she emerged from the covering of the trees was her smile, flashing bright as she made her way to his side. Her beauty amazed him every time he looked at her. It was not the overpowering kind of many of her kindred, but one that was more subtle; natural.

''Quel andune, Valia.'

'Greetings heruamin.'

Legolas watched as she set her weapons next to his own small pile. A quiver of arrows was already strapped to her back, so instead of fitting her weapons onto herself, she rooted through her belongings, snatching up a pair of supple leather gloves with satisfaction.

'I assume we are practicing archery today? I do not see Isondil anywhere. Has he deserted us?' Valia slipped a hand through one of the gloves, pulling on the lacing with a firm tug to tighten the material while Legolas strapped his bow to his back.

'He is with Silia, helping her prepare the last of her things for our journey.' Walking over to Valia, Legolas reached over, taking Valia's gloved hand that she was struggling to lace and began tying the knot for her.

A laugh bubbled out from Valia as she surrendered and held up her other hand as well, holding the matching glove for Legolas to slip on and tie. 'I do not know what I am going to do when you are gone. Who will put my gloves on for me?'

Come with me to Laiquarille and I will put your gloves on whenever you wish. Legolas decided that it was not the best time to admit such a thing to her, so he settled for something more neutral. 'I am sure Glorfindel would be happy to do so if you asked him.' Had he said neutral? That was far from neutral. Legolas hoped that Valia did not see his hidden agenda in bringing the elven lord's name up.

'Not at all,' Valia replied dryly. 'Glorfindel does not have the patience you have. He is a wonderful teacher when it comes to helping me with my book studies and such, but he fails miserably at assisting me with my archery skills. We tried once.' Legolas glanced up from his tying to catch the disgusted look on her face before returning his attention to her gloves. 'It was a disaster from the beginning and we mutually agreed to never attempt such a thing again.' 

'Are you trying to tell me he does not have the patience to deal with maidens who show no improvement?'

'What?' Valia yanked her hands away from Legolas and glared at him while she gave once final tug to her gloves. 'I will have you know that I have improved whether you think it or not. Is your memory so awful that you forget our first meeting?'

'I will never forget the day our paths first crossed Valia.' He watched her closely for any movement of her face or body that would suggest she understood his meaning behind the words, but found none. Instead, she walked over to their pile of belongings to retrieve her bow with a carefree step.

'Then you should remember quite well that I happened to be retrieving a stray arrow out of the woods when I stumbled upon you spying on me.'

'I was not spying on you!' protested Legolas.

A famous raise of Valia's brow silenced any further denial from the Prince. 'As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, it has been several months since any of my arrows have gone astray in the trees so you cannot tell me I have not improved at all.'

'It has also been several months since you moved anywhere closer to the center of the target than the fifth ring,' mumbled Legolas to himself.

'I heard that.'

'Heard what?' Legolas asked, melting Valia's glare with an innocent look.

The annoyance looming up inside Valia was easily tamed by his expression. 'Those eyes of yours are going to be the end of me, Legolas. Stop looking at me like that!' squawked Valia.

'Like what?' Moving towards her, Legolas took delight in the power he held over her with just a look. Perhaps there was some hope that he had gotten to her after all. Valia scurried away from him quickly, leaving a smirking Legolas to watch her retreat to the safety of the shooting line marked on the archery field.

'Are we going to practice or not?' Valia asked tartly, placing her free hand on her hip.

'My, my. Someone has an attitude this afternoon. I wonder if you sometimes fail to remember that you address a prince and not a servant.'

'Please.' Valia threw Legolas a condescending look that would have easily silenced a room full of nobles if she had been a queen. Legolas smiled at the idea. She would be the perfect princess for him, not caring if she stepped on royal toes and livening the court in the process. If only he could convince her that she did love him.

'Your grip is wrong Valia,' Legolas told her as she took aim.

'My grip is always wrong. What am I doing this time?'

Legolas ignored her crisp tone and came to stand by her side. 'You hold the bow too tight. Look how your fingers are turning white.'

'You told me that I should have a firm grip.'

'Valia, you could easily strangle a warg with your bare hands with that grip. Firm does not mean death grip.'

'Fine.' The clipped quality of her voice warned Legolas not to push the issue or insinuations any further. He watched as Valia loosened her grip, though it became evident that the frustration was now directed into her clenched jaw. She let an arrow fly towards the target and Legolas did not even have to look to know that it would not hit anywhere near the center, if it was even fortunate enough to hit the target altogether.

The audible intake of breath from Valia affirmed his assumptions and he observed her as she turned her glower his way. 'That is the last time I take your advice. It went farther with a loosened grip than with my supposed death grip.'

'That is because you were holding the bow too loose this time.'

'I give up!' Valia swiveled on her heel, throwing her hands up in the air, careful to avoid damaging her bow despite her aggravation, and prepared to make good her declaration. But Legolas, ever the swift warrior, caught her arm and yanked her back, ignoring her yelp of protest.

'You are not giving up Valia.'

'Yes I am.'

'No you are not.'

Valia moved close to him and narrowed her eyes. 'Yes I am,' she said, dangerously calm.

Feeling her warm breath on his face sent Legolas into a spiraling ecstasy where only she and he existed. The grin that spread across his face could not be helped as he moved closer to her.

'What are you smiling about?' barked Valia.

'Nothing. You are not giving up Valia.' Legolas spoke calmly, attempting to cup her cheek in his hand to soothe her.

However Valia had other ideas and swatted his hand away without batting a lash. 'There is no point in continuing Legolas. You are leaving in three days as it is. I will have no one but Tandir to help me with archery after that and he will be rather busy dotting on his new child to have time to help his sister with her pathetic archery skills.'

'Then we shall simply have to make sure you learn all you need to today so that you can practice on you own.' Legolas tapped the despondent maiden's nose and watched as she wrinkled it at his touch.

'I do not think it is that easy Legolas. I have yet to master the proper way to hold the bow. I do not think one practice with you will teach me all I need to know.'

'Perhaps we have not gone about it the right way.' Legolas captured Valia's wrist in his hands. Taking her bow from her hand, he released her to place the weapon on the ground before taking his own bow from off his back.

'What are you doing?' Valia watched as Legolas wrapped a leg around the stout wood, bending it so he could string the thread of elven hair to his weapon. She had tried to do so once, and that had been the very last time as well. The thick wood barely bent under her pressure, even when she leaned her entire weight on it. Legolas had laughed at her before extending his hand for his bow and easily stringing it. Watching him now, Valia realized that he must be well muscled. Her head tilted sideways as she scanned his arms and chest, becoming aware for the first time that his sleek figure was very obvious under his form fitting clothing.

'I am readying my bow.' Legolas glanced up at Valia to see her gazing at him. 'Valia?' Arching a brow, he watched as she blinked several times before turning a bright red. He had caught her staring at him, loving the fact that he made her blush. The idea of her running her eyes over his body sent a delightful shiver through him. He wondered what she thought, but by the red stain on her cheeks he was rather sure he could make an educated guess.

'I am sorry. What?' Valia was absolutely mortified. What had she been doing? Why had she even been thinking of such things? She brushed her hair over her shoulder and began playing with the clasps on her tunic. Snap out of it Valia. You would think you had never seen a male before. Her other half, the one that she had not allowed to speak for centuries decided it was the perfect time to reassert itself. Admit it. You have never seen a better model of the opposite sex before. Valia almost slapped herself at the thought.

'I said that I am readying my bow.' Legolas watched the red diminish in her cheeks as she took a steadying breath and nodded her head.

'O, well thank you for informing me, my lord. I was still not quite sure after watching you do so almost everyday for nearly five months.' Sarcasm fairly oozed from her words and Legolas almost lost his handle on his bow as he repressed a snicker. 'Why are you stringing your bow?' she asked, her usual curiousness quickly slaying the dragon of embarrassment inside her. After all, it was only Legolas.

'We are going to try something different.' Gaining a mastery over the string, Legolas lifted his bow with a satisfied smile and tested the resistance. 'Come here,' he beckoned to Valia.

She shuffled to his side and peered at his bow. 'Legolas, I do not know what you plan to do but I would not be able to pull the sting back on your bow if I had to do so to earn my next breath of air.'

No sooner was the protest out of her mouth when Valia suddenly found her back pressed against Legolas' chest. His long arms slid down her wrists to her hands as he carefully positioned them over his bow, his hands under hers.

'What are you doing?' Valia tried to sound indignant but she ended up sounding more breathless than anything else. If she had not been certain about his excellent physical condition by just looking at him, all questions were banished once she was enfolded in his arms. She was painfully aware of his toned muscles as he guided her hands, helping her pull back the bowstring.

How pleasant this is. Valia nearly hissed aloud as her annoying inner voice surfaced again. He is a Prince Valia argued back, deciding that she would speak to Elrond as soon as she got back to the palace about a remedy for getting rid of voices in her head.

'Now, do you feel how tight my grip is on the bow?' Legolas whispered into her ear, igniting a warm heat inside Valia. The only response she trusted herself to make was to slowly nod her head up and down. 'Good. Now relax and simply concentrate on feeling how tight my hold is.' He might as well have asked her to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin after it appeared on a cloudy day; it was something she did automatically. She felt the tension in well defined muscles as Legolas, with her hands resting on top of his, pulled back the bowstring as far as he could and let the arrow fly.

Valia watched as it buried itself into the first ring from the center of the target, its accuracy having been compromised by Legolas needing to shot around her.

'That was not so hard was it?' Legolas's mouth lingered over her ear as he waited for her to respond, which she did with a shake of her head. Desire for her quickly flooded him as her body seemed to surrender to him, her back molding to his chest when she leaned her head against his shoulder. The vibrant colors and noises of the external world faded for Legolas as Valia's close proximity overwhelmed him. How easy it would be to simply drop his bow and pull her against him tightly, pressing kisses on her neck, trailing up to the tip of her ear.

He did not get the chance, however. Valia twisted around, placing her hands on his arms with a look of concern. 'Are you alright? You are trembling.'

And so he was. He had not noticed, but his hands were indeed quivering, certainly not enough to cause much worry, but they still shook nonetheless, and all because of the beautiful maiden in his arms.

'I am well,' assured Legolas, breaking physical contact with Valia before he lost control of himself and pulled her to the ground with him in a passionate embrace. Loss of her body contact quickly subsided the shaking in his hands, he was happy to see. Giving up on trying to teach Valia anything more for the day, Legolas walked over to their pile of belongings and placed his bow amidst his things.

Legolas then came to a hasty decision. It was now or never. He had to give Valia his gift now or forget the entire idea. 'I have a gift for you Valia,' he called over his shoulder, not daring to turn around.

'A gift?' Valia peered at him closely, watching him reach into his sack and pull out a small wooden box. 'What have I done that has earned me a gift?' She cocked her head curiously, the silver in her eyes gleaming bright as she waited for an answer. 'It surely cannot be my excellent archery skills,' she jested, stooping down to pick up her bow.

'I have not forgotten that your day of begetting was not many days past.' A snort interrupted Legolas and he raised a brow which settled Valia down before he continued. 'I wished to get you something for the day.' He played with the box in his hands, turning it around methodically.

Valia's eyes narrowed at the sign of nervousness but she stopped the frown from appearing on her face that threatened to break forth. She moved to one of the benches with dignified grace, laying her bow on the ground carefully; then removing the quiver from her back. A shadow of a smile turned her lips upwards as Legolas continued to fidget with the box, starting to pace back and forth.

Sitting on a bench, she watched him from under her black lashes, following his feet as they moved lightly over the path. She wondered what the gift could be. Why is he so nervous? Has he not given me gifts before? She pursed her lips together and took a deep breath. 'If you do not stop pacing like that, even your light steps will not save the grass from being trampled to the ground.'

Legolas stopped his walking for a moment to give her a withering look before resuming his pacing. He passed the box between his hands, trying to decide if he had the courage he needed to give Valia the gift and ask for the promise that came with it. He knew that there was a very real possibility that she would refuse him. Could he handle her rejection? He took a sideways glance at Valia who was busy freeing her hands from her archery gloves, seemingly oblivious to his uneasiness. The glint of the sun on her hair and creamy skin effectively stopped his anxious feet, stilling them as he watched her struggle with the knot on her remaining glove. Her brow furrowed in concentration, quickly turned to frustration, when all her attempts proved futile.

A few choice words flew from her mouth at the stubborn glove, making Legolas smile. She was adorable even when she was angry. The red flush of irritation that stained her cheeks sent Legolas' heart into a furious hammering of activity, causing him to breathe faster. Everything she did lately seemed to affect him. The way she flicked her hair over her shoulder when it fell forward, how she spun around with a smile when he called her name or placed her hand on his arm when she wanted to emphasize her words made him want to grab her and pull her to him, pressing his lips against hers in a passionate merging of mouths. Was that too much to ask? He was not sure if he knew the answer to that question, only Valia did and the best he could do was guess as to her response.

Having at last gained a mastery over her obstinate gloves, Valia tossed them aside, sending a scowl in the direction they landed, and then turned her eyes towards Legolas, happy to find that he had stopped his nervous pacing. She raised an eyebrow, asking him if he had made up his mind yet without having to use words.

The answer was quick in coming. Legolas took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his racing heart and glanced down at the box in his hands. Valia watched as he turned his gaze her way, his bright green eyes meeting her dark blue ones, as he slowly knelt down in front of her.

For some reason, Valia felt her heart increase its pace.

'Do you know what this is?' Legolas asked, showing her the wooden box in his hands.

'I presume it is your gift to me.' Noticing that Legolas appeared somewhat relieved at her answer, Valia's curiosity began to grow.

'We have a tradition amongst my kin.' Legolas offered before his throat went dry and he said no more. He ducked his head, studying the elvish carvings on the box.

Valia wrinkled her brow as she watched him run his tongue over his lips and take in a few shuddering breaths.

'A tradition?' she prompted, leaning sideways a little in an attempt to see the expression on his hidden face.

Legolas nodded his head, looking up when Valia reached over and gently squeezed his wrist in reassurance before moving her hand back to her lap. The touch was all the prompting he needed. Looking up, Legolas smiled when he saw Valia's puzzled face. 'The tradition is very old.' He was happy to discover his voice carried no wobble as a fire slowly began to build inside him at Valia's gaze upon his face. 'I am told it dates back as far as the settling of Eryn Lasgalen. When an elf wished to give a maiden a gift he would fashion a box out of the wood of a tree and inscribe her name on the lid, carving pictures into the sides that meant something special to the couple.'

Legolas tilted the top of the wooden box towards Valia and she saw her name emblazoned on the lid in flowing swirls, resembling the twining of vines. A copious mixing of delicate leaves encircled her name, carved with amazing precision. Valia glanced at Legolas before she tentatively ran her fingers over the lid, the dark wood glossy against her touch.

'Of course, the times quickly changed,' Legolas continued when she had finished her examination. 'We are no longer as reserved as our sires of old and while it was once wrong for an elf to bestow a gift on any other than his betrothed; it eventually became acceptable to give a maiden a present without bringing censure.'

'It is a lovely tradition,' Valia offered when Legolas paused, running a thumb over the box.

'Indeed it is, but the tradition does not end there. The carving of the box eventually became associated with the giving of betrothal rings. A maiden would know that an elf wished to marry her when he presented her with a box like this. The betrothal ring would be placed inside.' Legolas raised the box and Valia felt her heart miss a beat at the implications of his words.

'Legolas...'

'Let me finish Valia.' He held up a hand to silence her, smiling when he saw her begin to fidget with the hem of her long tunic. She is as nervous as I am. 'Before the elf gives his beloved the box he shows her the pictures he has carved into the wood, explaining why they are important to him.'

Legolas moved closer to Valia. She felt her lips begin to tremble when he leaned an elbow on the bench and held the box in the air. 'It took me many days to decide what I wished to carve on your box. This,' he indicated to one of the sides of the box, 'is us dancing the night you were crowned Lady of the Stars.' Valia leaned closer to see the picture better. She found herself amazed at Legolas' skills. It was obvious who Legolas and she were. They stood in the midst of other swirling couples underneath a star laden sky. 'I did not know you could carve,' she whispered in awe.

Rotating the box to the next side, Legolas smiled glanced at the depiction before looking at Valia who stared at the object in his hands, never diverting her gaze another direction. 'This is of the day we spent on Lord Elrond's boat.' Legolas showed her the picture of a swan boat gliding through the waves.

'What is that?' Valia managed to ask, pointing to something in the sky above the ship. She was stunned that she was able to form any coherent thought in light of the situation.

Legolas smiled at her warmly, though it was lost on Valia who kept her gaze focused on the box. He noticed that her breathing had grown shallow since his revelation of the meaning of the box and that her hand shook slightly as she pointed to the object in the sky. The courage that she exhibited by staying to allow Legolas to explain his gift to her despite her discomfort only made his love for her grow.

'It is Eärendil. I put it in the sky as a reminder of our stargazing that night.' Legolas saw a faint glow of pink warm Valia's cheeks as she dropped her gaze to her lap.

'Legolas, I do not know…'

'Wait Valia. Please let me finish.' Swallowing, Valia nodded. There were entirely too many emotions raging through her as she listened to Legolas speak, some of them quite pleasant. He cannot possibly love me. It was the solitary lucid thought that kept surfacing from her inner storm, but as Legolas continued to describe the pictures to her she could feel her grip on the sane thought slowly slipping away as it dissolved into the realms of ridiculousness.

'I think this has become my favorite picture as I have worked on the box.' Moving the box a quarter of a turn, Legolas revealed a picture of Valia sitting in front of Legolas as he held a strand of her hair in his hands, braiding it.

'Our picnic,' Valia whispered.

'Yes.' Smiling fondly at the image, Legolas glanced at Valia. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes, making the distinct silver flecks in her eyes blend together with the predominant blue. 'And this,' spoke Legolas softly as he revealed the last image, 'is the day I realized I had fallen in love with you.'

The tears flowed freely at Legolas' admission of love for Valia. They turned her world into a blurry haze of colors and indefinable objects. She desperately wiped her eyes with the back of her hand but to her horror it only seemed to produce more tears.

'I am sorry,' she managed to choke out through her constricted throat. It burned with the concentration of emotions inside of her. Legolas loved her. Prince Legolas loved her! How long? She let out an irritated snort. If you would stop crying like a ninny you would be able to see for yourself. But did time really matter? Legolas was in love with her. The thought sent a wave of happiness coursing through her, much to her dismay.

You would think I loved him with the way I am acting. Valia stilled just as soon as the idea materialized in her mind. For some reason, in the light of Legolas' declaration, it did not seem so absurd to think that it might be true, though she did not want to think hard on the idea. You stupid woman! she chided herself. Why did you not recognize that he was in love with you long ago? Was it not obvious; his gifts, the fascination with her hair, him caressing her cheek? It was glaringly obvious now that she thought about it and she squeezed her eyes shut in frustration with herself at not discovering it sooner.  

Burying the heel of her palm into her eyes, Valia rubbed hard and was granted a tiny reprieve from her tears. She quickly glanced at Legolas. He had such adoration in his eyes that it inundated her with warmth. Tearing her gaze from him, she looked at the box. The last picture was Legolas seated in a chair in front of a fire while Valia lay curled in his lap. If she did not recognize the scene by just that, the books in the background made it impossible to not know.

It was the night Garand had assaulted her. So long ago. The tears started again and Valia was hard pressed to do anything but try to wipe away the flood. 

Worried that her unrestrained tears and persistent silence were a sign of rejection, Legolas wrapped his arms around Valia's waist and carefully pulled her to the ground to sit in his lap, making sure that she could not escape him till she heard him out. It would be an understatement to say he was more than a little surprised when she rested her head on his shoulder without a struggle, placing a breathy kiss on his neck. Her warm lips against his skin caused his body to do strange things, the primary of which was the unavoidable shiver that snaked down his spine, followed by the twitch in his hands to be set free to wander over her at will, exploring the curves of her body. It was not as if Legolas had never been with another lady before. That was hardly the case, but his body had never reacted so strongly to any but Valia before. He could feel her tears begin to dampen his tunic, but paid no head to the wet fabric as he concentrated on the compliant maiden in his arms.

'Valia?' he asked. It was a rather tentative question, he not being sure exactly what emotion was causing her tears to pour forth like the great Anduin he had sailed down so long ago. 'Lirimaer? Are you alright?' He hoped she was not too enraged with him that she was driven beyond coherent thought in her anger.

'You love me? Truly?'

The question hung like a lifeline in the churning sea that separated the two and Legolas desperately clung to it in hope. Dare he believe that she might actually care for him even a fraction of the way he loved her?

'I love you Valia. I love you so much it hurts just to look at you.' Valia buried her face deep into Legolas' neck, biting her bottom lip as he continued. Once again, she felt her cheeks begin to heat in embarrassment. His hand had found its way up to her hair, combing through the locks as he spoke, sending a content sensation through Valia. 'I once told you that you were my jewel. I did not realize it at the time, but even then you had captured my heart. You have become very dear to me Valia. You are the most treasured jewel of my heart. Life does not matter when you are by my side. Flowers, wind, trees, the sun ceases to exist when you are near. You have become all that is important to me. You are my flowers and my wind, my trees and my sun. Amin mela lle. I love you Valia. I wake every morning thinking it. I go to sleep every night and dream of it. You are constantly in my thoughts.'

Valia shifted in his arms, and Legolas look down at her, her eyes now free from tears. Lifting his hand that did not hold the betrothal box, Legolas tenderly wiped the aftermath of her tears from her skin, lingering lightly over the silky texture. He watched with wonder as Valia closed her eyes slowly leaned into his caress.

'Valia.' He murmured her name in rapt devotion, the entirety of his love infused in his words. He knew with certainty that he had never felt such bliss before when he lowered his head and captured her lips in a sweet kiss of adoration.

There was no insistent passion in the kiss, simply the utter care and fondness that Legolas held for her in his heart. He spoke of his love to her in the merging of their lips, telling her all that she needed to know about the deepest longings of his heart. And she responded to the longing, molding her lips to his. She found that he was quite good at his ministrations, easily lighting passion within her as he explored her lips.

But no matter how experienced he was, it was not enough to silence the voice that was growing in volume in her mind, clambering to be heard. Stop Valia! You know you cannot do this. Stop now before you hurt him and yourself. Valia tried to push the irritating thought away, despite the fact that it was right. It won out in the end; however, and when Legolas broke away from their kiss to take a breath she quickly ducked her head before he could claim her lips again.

Legolas did not seem bothered by the action, much too happy that after all the weeks of agonized torture, he had finally been able to kiss Valia properly. He was satisfied to discover that it had been worth the wait. Valia was no novice at the art of kissing either and he was delighted to find that her lips had responded to his with an expertise that sent his frantic heart rate to the point of indistinguishable beatings.

Bringing the box into her field of vision once more, he cleared his throat. 'The last part of the tradition is a simple one. I am to give you the box,' Legolas placed it in her hands as he spoke, 'and you are to open it.'

Valia examined the carving of her name before slowly lifting the lid. A glint of something silver flashed as the sun was allowed admittance into the shadowed recesses of the box. Legolas reached in and took the object out, resting it in the palm of his hand for Valia to see.

It was a silver ring, unadorned with neither jewel nor etchings; merely a band of flawless silver.

'What is that?' Valia whispered as if she did not already know the answer.

'I love you Valia. Marry me.'

The tremble in her lips returned in full force as her entire world came to a halt. How could she refuse such an offer from him; from Legolas? He was everything she could ever hope for in a partner; loving, sweet, kind, generous, passionate, all mingled together with his warrior side that was strong, intelligent, and alluringly dangerous. She knew her answer without having to think, was completely conscious of her only answer.

'I cannot marry you Legolas.' The muscles in his arms instantly tensed around Valia and she scolded herself for being so blunt.

'Tell me why Valia.' By the tone in his voice, Valia thought he had been expecting her response.

Why? Yes Valia, why? She was not certain if the question in her mind was her own voice taunting her or Legolas speaking to her thoughts again. How could she say that she simply could not, that it was not him that she was rejecting with her no? He would never understand.

'I simply cannot Legolas.' Valia turned in his arms and grabbed the material of his tunic in her fists. 'Please believe me that it is nothing you have done. You are perfect. It is not you, it is me.' A lone tear trailed down her cheek, winding along the contours of her face.

With his thumb, Legolas wiped it away, his own sadness piercing his heart as her tear wet his skin. 'Why Valia?' he murmured, pulling her close to him. 'What is it that you hide from me? I can see it in your eyes, the shadow that lingers in those blue depths. It haunts you, whatever it is.' Legolas knew his words had hit their mark as effortlessly as he was able to bury an arrow in the center of a target. Valia tensed and her body went rigid.

'I cannot tell you that Legolas. Only trust me when I say that I cannot marry you through no fault of you own. It is because of me that I cannot marry you.'

'Why? You can have no reason that would diminish my feelings for you. I would marry you if you told me that you were only after my title and wealth. I do not care what the reason is Valia. I will forget everything once we are married. All I want is you.'

Valia banged her fists against his solid chest at his confessions. 'I told you not to fall in love with me Legolas. I told you not to. Why? Why did you have to fall in love with me?'

Legolas rubbed his hand over the curve of her back to try to calm her. 'Love is not bounded by such promises Valia. I could not help it. You are everything I have every wanted in a wife. It only took me too long to realize that I had given you my heart from the moment you walked away from me at our first meeting.'

'I am sorry Legolas.' The words came out choked as Valia wrenched herself away from Legolas and quickly shoved his box back into his hands, moving out of the way before he could capture her and pull her back to him.

'Valia,' he protested, but the desperation lining his plea did nothing to stop the one he loved from racing away from him into the trees, leaving all her things behind in her distress.

-~~*~~-

* 'Quel andune- Good afternoon

* heruamin- my lord (familiar)

* Lirimaer- Lovely one

*Amin mela lle- I love you

*All grows hazy as Silmarien receives a vision of the flames coming her way* O come on, you have to admit that you expected that to happen. Well, I am prepared anyway, but please leave an email address so I can answer your reviews :)