A/N: thanks to feanen and icy878! *grins* ah I love you guys so much! *laugh* you guys loved the last chapter so much. . . this one is gonna be sad, sort of. Maybe not so for me, because I'm the one writing it, but I'm *trying* to make this sad. Tell me what you think!

I pulled away, unsure of what to do.

"Look at the sky," he said softly, taking hold of my hand. I wanted to pull away, really I did, but I just couldn't bring myself to actually doing it, so I did as I was told. I gazed at the sky.

"It is beautiful," I said to myself. And it was. The sun had just set but the sky was still lit, only slightly though, by the pink haze of the sun. At this particular moment one could see the stars, glowing pink, barely reflecting off the sun. The surrounding sky was deep blue, but the horizon was a thin line of pink, and in another moment, it was gone.

"Now then," I said softly. Why did I just say that? Stupid. How stupid did that sound? He just looked over at me, and I was lost again. His eyes were entrancing, his perfect features- everything.

"As I was saying before I was so," I paused, "brilliantly," I said in a whisper then resumed in a voice that I tried to make sound angry, "interrupted. You only think you love me. Tell me, what do you see in me? What makes me different from any other maiden?"

He looked straight at me, neither frowning nor smiling, "I am able to see past your negative qualities and see only the good."

"And the others?"

"I see only the bad things, never the good."

"You lie," I spat, "you lie! You doubtlessly say this to every other maiden you meet in the street."

"I did not meet you in the street- rather in a meadow," he said frowning slightly, "But, I can promise you that-"

"You can promise me what?" I shouted, no longer needing to act angry, "You can promise me nothing! You have duties to carry out- a land to return to. You can not keep any promises you say you can."

"You will never be alone, I can promise you that."

"And where will you be- in Greenwood? Of course I won't be alone; I have my people here. Yet, if you mean that you will never leave me, you lie still. You leave me tomorrow! Yet," I paused, thinking, "perhaps it is for the best," I said, my shouting reduced to a mere whisper- a shadow of what it once was, "leave me, and forget me."

"Never!" he said back, staring intently into my eyes.

"Stop that!" I shouted, looking away, feeling my eyes fill but refusing to let them spill, "Forget about me. It will save you the grief. Find someone else."

He touched my chin softly and turned it towards him, "And what about you?"

I looked up into his eyes, pale blue, like droplets of the sea turned to crystals, "Stop," I pulled my head away, "You are just making this harder for yourself."

"And what of you?" he asked, pulling my face towards him again.

"And what of me? I live always in misery; tomorrow will not be any different. Besides, you can not love someone upon meeting."

"How do you know?"

"You can not. It is simply not possible- no one falls in love like that."

He fell silent for a moment and I unintentionally held my breath, unsure of what he was to say next, "I will never forget you."

"Forget about me!" I shouted back, angry that he still brought this up, "you are so stubborn! Sometimes, I wish I never met you, then you wouldn't fall in love and you wouldn't ruin yourself like this- I have told you that love only leads to heartbreak- and I believe I am right!"

I got up, and walked slowly back to the palace, trying to recollect and organize my thoughts. Legolas did not follow- but I was not sure if that was a good or bad thing. Yes, I did wish to be alone, but did he hate me now so much he did not wish to pursue me?

Maybe I could fall 'ill' and not have to go to the feast. However, that would not work, as Elves never got sick. Damn the cursed ways of the Elven kind- now what would I use for an excuse?

Maybe, I could just retreat back to my room. No one would find me- no one would even remember me! It was an ideal plan. I started walking to my chamber, soundlessly, and no one saw me. I entered my room and shut the door, then collapsed on the bed.

A knock came on the door. I instantly got up and started running around, saying Elven curses in my head. I decided to run out of the room through the balcony which joined to literally every other room in the palace. Of course, just as my luck would have it, people were starting to come for the feast.

"Canyaiel!" came the voice of my sister, who promptly walked up to me, "Mother is worried about you."

"I find that hard to believe," I said dryly.

"Come, come to the feast," she said.

"No, I will not go."

"Stop being so stubborn!" she said loudly. I noticed the other Elves dashing around madly to get into the ballroom, but Calwaiel and I were away from them, and none of them seemed to notice us. Stubborn. . . the word rang in my ear.

"You are so difficult," she said, taking my arm and leading me to the ballroom. I did not protest, for I did not even realize where I was going until I was there. Once I got there, I tried to turn around, but was surrounded by the Elves trying to enter.

Reluctantly, I walked inside. My sister found a nice Elf and started dancing. I stood there, uncomfortable. Elves paired off, dancing and singing. I pretended to find the floor interesting- the white marble with streaks of silver, not like I had not noticed it before.

"Is something the matter, Anvanima?" I looked up, it was Elrohir, "You have been mesmerized by the floor for quite some time now."

"Do not call me that, I am not Anvanima."

"No, you are Canyaiel, but I shall call you Anvanima, despite your protests."

I sighed, "You always seem to arrive at just the right times."

"Now, what is the problem?" he asked, offering me his hand to dance. I took it as I sighed.

"Oh, I- I do not know where to start." Elrohir just smiled. I sighed again as I nestled closer to him.

"I will listen to you, if you wish me to," he said. I felt myself smile.

"Elrohir, I am the most foolish, aloof, stupid, and dull Elf ever to walk in Imladris! Legolas told me of his love for me, and I could not, I do not understand it. I told him that I did not love him."

Elrohir squeezed my hand, "Maybe you do."

"I don't, not in the least bit," I said. If it were anyone else, I would be terribly angry with him.

"Maybe you do not," he said softly.

"He is leaving tomorrow, why did he?" I asked delicately, my voice trailing off.

Elrohir squeezed my hand again, "Sometimes, we all do things we are unsure of. Just wait, we shall see what path the Valar have made for you, but even then you must make your own choices. There are many roads to take, and on your journey you can take only one, make it a wise one."

I nodded slowly, not quite understanding what he was saying.

"Come now, let us be happy."

"You say that as if it is an easy thing."

"Oh, but it is," he said, smiling widely. I laughed.

"You are always so happy, Elrohir, you are callinya."

"Callinya? I am your hero?" he laughed, "Well, then you are rilminya."

I laughed, "I am your light?"

"Yes, you are my glittering light and I am your hero. It is settled, then," he said in an authoritative voice. I laughed at him. I noticed the music dwindling slowly and it stopped. Elrohir released me and we went to go sit at the feast table. We all sat in the same arrangement as last time, unfortunately.

I tried not to look at Legolas, who was sitting just two seats away. He made soft noises with the drinking glass or the plate which food was served on then looked up at me- I could feel his glances, but I did not look back. The feast was over a little while after, thankfully.

I hate these feasts, banquets, whatever you wish to call them. They are all the same- an excuse to get Elves and Elven-maidens to start courting- and for Elven-maidens to start wearing pretty silk dresses.

I walked back to my chamber a little while later, and changed into my slumber dress. I looked disgustedly at the beautiful purple dress and I felt as if I wanted to cry- but I couldn't. I smoothed out the slight wrinkle of my modest crème colored dress and sat on my bed. I sighed and lay down, trying to sleep.

It did not work. I walked outside, feeling the slight night breeze. I looked over and saw Legolas. I wanted to say something to him, anything. I wanted to know why he told me at this moment- I wanted to be there for him, I wanted to comfort him. I could not. He looked over at me.

"Canyaiel, Minaiell, nîn meleth, navaer," he whispered. I stood there, confused, only knowing a part of what he said- it was in Sindarin. True, Sindarin was the more commonly spoken language, but I was far better in Quenya, for the only people I spoke to were Lord Elrond, Lady Celebrían, Arwen, Elrohir, Elladan, Calwaiel, and my mother.

Even then, I still did not speak much to them- and yes, I did know a bit of Sindarin but only about things we spoke of- like my sister. Never love. I don't speak of love to anyone except Elrohir and even then, he says it slowly enough so I can understand it or he translates it into Quenya. As for why I am better in Quenya, my mother loves to sing. Many songs are in Quenya, even though we rarely speak it normally.

Legolas walked to his chamber door and looked at me with his pale eyes, lit by the moonlight. They no longer held the comfort they once did.

"Namárie, melmë-nya," he whispered, just as he walked into his chambers. His words rang in my head- farewell, my love. 'Farewell, my love,' his words rang in my head, and then suddenly faded. I tried to scream, to tell him to come back, that I loved him, too, but my voice wasn't working. I shouted, but no words came out. I sank to my knees slowly, feeling the cold marble through the thin material of my dress.

"Legolas, come back, I love you," I sobbed softly to myself, "Come back, come back," I said. A single tear fell down my face.

"Legolas," I whispered before shutting my eyes.