A/N: I can not even begin to tell you guys how happy you have all made me
with those wonderful reviews- it makes writing this story all the more
rewarding:) Keep those thoughts coming- I value them greatly! Concerning
the story: the story has begun to take very interesting twists and turns
but there is something extremely important I would like everybody to know:
firstly, Sir Tolkien never got too personal with Legolas, as we all know,
which makes him easier to write for (most of the time). So, I have decided
to do some experimenting. I am going to work my way *around* his stories so
that, by the end, I will have obtained something original but most
important of all- BELIEVABLE. Hopefully, it will fit in so well that I just
might get away with it:) secondly, I will not do what most authos have
done, which is basically rewriting the chapters in the books (including
their own characters or whatnot). I don't want to offend anyone so please
don't misunderstand!! I'm merely stating that I will be taking a different
approach to things- let's all pray! Anyway, I've held you guys up long
enough, on to the awaited chapter 9.
PS: Dil-air-ee-yen (but I'm not strict with it so if you've pronounced it differently in your head, by all means, go with that:)
*************************
Thursday night
Legolas reread the letter one last time, making sure that he had written everything that he had wanted to say in the way that he had wanted to say it. His face looked grim when the candlelight struck it and he looked exhausted from the stress which is provoked by heavy emotional burden.
*This is the right thing to do* he kept telling himself as he pulled out a mithril chain from a pocket. He then pulled out the mithril ring he had been saving for her and put it on the chain. They looked beautiful as they sparkled together in the candlelight, complementing each other. Legolas took the letter and the necklace and walked out onto the balcony. The moonlight was so peaceful but it was not a full moon yet- tomorrow night would be. The necklace looked flawless as drops of moonlight fell on it, making it sparkle all the more. Legolas rolled the letter up and used the necklace to tie it up. His plan was to hand it to his father and have him give the letter to Dileriyen during the ball, as he would by then be quite a distance away from Mirkwood.
*I have no other choice, it seems,* he thought to himself as he re-entered his room and started to pack. Tomorrow, a new day would dawn with a new Legolas- he was a Prince going to fulfill his duties and failure was not an option although victory would no doubt come with its own consequences.
************************
Dileriyen paced up and down and up and down and up and down for the thousandth time that night. She was insanely irritable and miserable. She felt a strong desire to inflict damage upon something- a thought which made her disgusted with herself.
*Haven't you done enough of that already? Is not the current damage at a satisfactory level?* she scolded herself. But, it ws neither the irritation nor the misery that truly kept her awake. It was her strong Elven instincts which put her in this restless mood. For some reason, unknown to her at present, she felt an overwhelming sense of loss- a loss of something that she could not name. But, nonetheless, it was there and it was driving her up the wall. She felt as if part of her had been taken away and suddenly, her breathing fell short and she almost collapsed to the floor but reached the bed just in time.
*Breathe Dil, just breathe!* she told herself repeatedly until her breathing slowly returned to normal. Something was definitely amiss but unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done. So, restless or not, Dileriyen had no other choice but to sleep once more and hope that the new day would be no worse than the previous two.
****************************
Legolas woke up at 6 o'clock in the morning, red-eyed and wretched. His heart screamed for him to stay but his body intervened quickly as he dressed and gathered his belongings. Within seconds, he rushed out the door without taking a last look at anything and headed for the library, knowing full well that his father was wide awake and had probably not had a wink of sleep throughout the night.
Thranduil was slow to react to his son's entrance. "Good morning my son. I...ah...see you are ready."
Thranduil was very upset at the moment. He was sending his only son into Valar- knows-what , completely aware of the fact that they would not be seeing each other again for quite a bit of time.
"Yes father, I am ready to leave. I do have one small request to make, though. Please make sure to give this to Dileriyen but do it tonight, during the ball. I hope to be as far away as possible by then," he said casting his eyes downwards as he handed the necklace-tied letter to Thranduil, trying to hide his misery.
Thranduil now looked even more saddened if that was possible at that point.
"Then you will not say goodbye to her before you leave? Son, please, reconsider. Do you not know what that will do to her? I honestly do not fully comprehend this situation. Really, you two have displayed a first class lack of maturity and respect for one another. I expected more from the *both* of you. I should think that the love you two share would have overcome such trifle matters by now."
Legolas jerked his head back up and stared at his father, his eyes practically popping out of his head. He had no words to contradict him.
"What? Oh son really, you seem astonished at what I just said. I may be old but I am not blind you know! Hahaha.. Now please, will you not reconsider?"
Legolas let out a long sigh. Thranduil was making things extremely difficult as always and all Legolas wanted to do was ride far away from Mirkwood undisturbed and in peaceful misery.
"Father, I honestly have no sufficient argument to offer you. All I ask is that you give this letter to her tonight when I have gone. I realize that she will be upset to say the least but please do not make those requests of me. I have thought things through and this is for the best. Understand that I have my reasons," he said in a very monotonous tone.
And so, Thranduil could do nothing more than have faith that his son was doing the right thing. This placed great responsibility on him, though, and he knew that somewhere in between exposing his little game and handing her the letter, Dileriyen would adopt a hostile attitude, threatening anything and everything that crossed her path. It was inescapable and sadly, understandable. Then again, as he rethought his son's actions, he began to see his reasoning and it became clear to him why Legolas did not want her to know: she would want to go with him. Suddenly, Thranduil became very nervous. She was his daughter in all respects except for blood and he loved her very very dearly. Sending his son into the unknown was painful enough but to have her follow him was simply madness and unthinkable. Simply put, it was out of the question. Legolas could take care of himself- he had had sufficient training for battle in his early years from the best tutors. She, on the other hand, detested battle for obvious reasons and refused to take part in any such matters (she never weilded a sword after *that* night). Therefor, she was not ready.
At that moment, a brown-haired elf, led by a servant, entered the room and bowed, forcing both Thranduil and Legolas out of their gloomy thoughts.
"Milord" he said politely and hastily.
"Yes lad, who might you be?"
"I am named Alhera. I have come from Imladris in haste under orders from the Lord Elrond to summon a representative for the Council- you know of the matter which I refer to."
"Yes yes, of course. Well, by the Valar you do have good timing my boy. My son Legolas was about to depart for Imladris. He bears important messages for Lord Elrond and the council members. He will be representing Mirkwood."
"My Prince, we must hurry back for time is against us. How soon would it be possible for us to leave milord?"
"I am ready Alhera, I just need a few moments with my father; will you be so kind as to wait by the horses? I shall be along shortly."
"Of course sir" Alhera slightly nodded his head and hurried outside. Now came time for the true goodbye.
Legolas and Thranduil hugged and held on tightly to one another, understanding that this was now a true parting of ways for a while and that their hearts had not deceived them. It was a very painful moment for both.
"Take care my boy." He said, still holding his son tightly. "And come back safe and sound. We have fallen into dark times and I fear the war for the Ring has begun. I want you back here in one piece when all this is over!" he said trying to lighten the mood and smiled.
"It's a promise father. Do not worry about me. I love you. And please- look after her and make sure she does not follow me... "
"I love you too son. Go now and be not troubled!"
So, Legolas left, shedding a few tears in spite of himself. He went outside and mounted his horse, Alhera waiting patiently on a horse next to him. Legolas was somewhat glad that he would not have to be traveling alone. He took one last look at the balcony that was hers and then, they left, silently and solemnly.
*********************
Dileriyen woke up promptly at 11 o'clock and spent her day hanging around her room doing this and that, feeling too ill to over-exert herself. Throughout the day, waves of nausea hit her over and over again and appetite was something she greatly lacked. At 9 o'clock the ball would commence and all day the hustle and bustle could be heard everywhere around the palace. But, Dileriyen was only going to the ball for one reason: to apologize and beg for forgiveness. True, she had decided to let him be but it just got to the point where that was impossible to do. Her anger had subsided and now she was in pure misery. She couldn't go on this way. She missed him, she needed him- desperately. They had never been separated for even one day in the past for Valar's sake- so one can imagine the toll this had taken on the two.
*I will get down on my knees if necessary; hopefully, you don't hate me enough to turn away from me.*
The day passed slowly and dully and it was now a quarter past nine. Dileriyen (still somewhat ill) stood in the middle of the room in a beautiful silver dress that shimmered as the moonlight played with it. But, she was terribly nervous. Nervous and scared at the thought of his rejection. She finally got up the nerve to leave ten minutes later and headed for ball, feeling her face go pale.
**********************
The crowd was grand. As expected, almost the entire kingdom had shown up. The crowd parted and slightly bowed as they let Dileriyen pass through and take her place next to the King. The partying then recommenced. There was music, beautiful singing, vigorous dancing and plenty of gossip and chatter to last several centuries. Everyone was having fun- except for Dileriyen. She was just plain confused as she sat to Thranduil's right and looked questioningly at the seat to his left, which stood empty. She then refocused her gaze on the crowd, searching in vain for him amongst the thousands of blonde heads, a brunette here and there. She sat there and continued searching for a total of forty-five minutes. But he was nowhere to be found and it didn't look like he would be putting in an appearance anytime soon. She finally cracked.
"Thranduil, where is he? Don't tell me he has refused to attend."
Thranduil started to fidget nervously and go red, confusing Dileriyen to the point of no return.
"Well...er...ah...child, come. Walk outside with me for a moment. There are a few things I need to tell you and I have put if off for far too long as it is."
"Thranduil what's wrong? I do not understand! Why do you look so upset?" she asked frustrated.
"Just walk with me and I shall explain." He said as he got up, holding something in his hands behind his back, which Dileriyen had not the opportunity to see.
They walked toward the pond that looked breathtaking under the full moon and stars specked all over the black web that embraced all it touched.
"Alright Thranduil, out with it! I demand to know what's going on. What am I not being told? Why are we out here when we should be at the ball? And for the love of the Valar, where is Legolas?" she asked out of breath. Somebody had a lot of explaining to do.
"I shall answer all your questions child but first I must ask for your forgiveness and understanding."
"What ever for?" she asked desperately. "Thranduil please, tell me what is happening!"
He sighed. "I lied to you about throwing the ball to marry Legolas off. And you, for that matter. I merely wanted to give you two a little nudge in the right direction but my good intentions have led to some bad results. I deeply apologize for all the trouble I have caused. I hope you are not too upset with me."
"Oh Thranduil..." she said quietly, her disappointment clearly reflecting in her eyes.
"Please, let me finish."
Surprised, she asked: "There's more?"
"Oh believe me my darling, there is *much* more..."
He then related to her the full story of Gollum, Sauron and the One Ring. Dileriyen then learned of why Aragorn had truly come, the Council Lord Elrond had just summoned and of Gollum's escape. She forgot her anger for a few minutes.
"So, the messenger Alhera arrived this morning at a rather fortunate time and summoned us to the Council. I sent a representative back to Imladris with him, very early this morning."
"Oh my. This is troubling news. I honestly cannot imagine whom you could have selected for such a mission. It requires a lot of sacrifice and involves great risk. It is saddening to think that this poor soul, whomever he may be, probably won't be back for quite a while, if indeed he makes it out of this thing alive. Who could take on such a responsibility?"
Thranduil looked gravely into her eyes but did not speak and sudden realization dawned on Dileriyen along with the words she had just spoken. Her eyes watered and she tried to speak once more but no voice would come and she struggled for some moments.
"No...Please tell me he didn't..." she said very slowly and quietly, slightly shaking her head from side to side, not ready to accept what was true.
"I am very sorry daughter. Valar help us all in the days to come..." said Thranduil as he softly kissed her forehead and handed her the letter.
"He left this for you." He spoke gently and then left her to read her letter in peace. He made his way back to the ball.
************************
Dileriyen sat down on the grass in a state of shock and removed the necklace from the letter. She held it up and marvelled at its beauty under the starlight. She put it on and could not take her eyes off its beauty for a few minutes. Now came the hard part. She opened the letter and took in every single word, her heart still wanting to deny the whole situation. When she was done she sat there motionless, still unwilling to accept the things she had heard and read. Silently looking around her, she realized where she was sitting. This was where everything had started. The fight, the cruel words, the pain. It brought her over the edge and she started to cry and shiver uncontrollably, speaking broken sentences to herself amidst the sobs. It was then that a light but cool wind picked up. And the wind carried her cries over land, water and air through the still night as the moon and stars looked sadly down upon her.
*************************
Legolas had been riding all day with only two brief stops to rest. He was very tired though and needed sleep, as he was not used to this never-ending riding. All was quiet until a light wind picked up. It made him shiver but not so much from its coolness, rather from the echo of a distant voice that it brought with it. Legolas thought that he could almost hear the wind crying, contributing largely to his grieved heart.
*Nonsense* he thought. *It is just the wind playing tricks on me and I am tired.* He dismissed what he heard and the two stopped to take some rest. Alhera took first watch as Legolas tried in vain to sleep. He tossed and turned but it was useless. The wind would not leave him...
***************************
A/N: :((((((((((((( I got upset even writing this chapter, I don't know how you guys feel about reading it:(
PS: Dil-air-ee-yen (but I'm not strict with it so if you've pronounced it differently in your head, by all means, go with that:)
*************************
Thursday night
Legolas reread the letter one last time, making sure that he had written everything that he had wanted to say in the way that he had wanted to say it. His face looked grim when the candlelight struck it and he looked exhausted from the stress which is provoked by heavy emotional burden.
*This is the right thing to do* he kept telling himself as he pulled out a mithril chain from a pocket. He then pulled out the mithril ring he had been saving for her and put it on the chain. They looked beautiful as they sparkled together in the candlelight, complementing each other. Legolas took the letter and the necklace and walked out onto the balcony. The moonlight was so peaceful but it was not a full moon yet- tomorrow night would be. The necklace looked flawless as drops of moonlight fell on it, making it sparkle all the more. Legolas rolled the letter up and used the necklace to tie it up. His plan was to hand it to his father and have him give the letter to Dileriyen during the ball, as he would by then be quite a distance away from Mirkwood.
*I have no other choice, it seems,* he thought to himself as he re-entered his room and started to pack. Tomorrow, a new day would dawn with a new Legolas- he was a Prince going to fulfill his duties and failure was not an option although victory would no doubt come with its own consequences.
************************
Dileriyen paced up and down and up and down and up and down for the thousandth time that night. She was insanely irritable and miserable. She felt a strong desire to inflict damage upon something- a thought which made her disgusted with herself.
*Haven't you done enough of that already? Is not the current damage at a satisfactory level?* she scolded herself. But, it ws neither the irritation nor the misery that truly kept her awake. It was her strong Elven instincts which put her in this restless mood. For some reason, unknown to her at present, she felt an overwhelming sense of loss- a loss of something that she could not name. But, nonetheless, it was there and it was driving her up the wall. She felt as if part of her had been taken away and suddenly, her breathing fell short and she almost collapsed to the floor but reached the bed just in time.
*Breathe Dil, just breathe!* she told herself repeatedly until her breathing slowly returned to normal. Something was definitely amiss but unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done. So, restless or not, Dileriyen had no other choice but to sleep once more and hope that the new day would be no worse than the previous two.
****************************
Legolas woke up at 6 o'clock in the morning, red-eyed and wretched. His heart screamed for him to stay but his body intervened quickly as he dressed and gathered his belongings. Within seconds, he rushed out the door without taking a last look at anything and headed for the library, knowing full well that his father was wide awake and had probably not had a wink of sleep throughout the night.
Thranduil was slow to react to his son's entrance. "Good morning my son. I...ah...see you are ready."
Thranduil was very upset at the moment. He was sending his only son into Valar- knows-what , completely aware of the fact that they would not be seeing each other again for quite a bit of time.
"Yes father, I am ready to leave. I do have one small request to make, though. Please make sure to give this to Dileriyen but do it tonight, during the ball. I hope to be as far away as possible by then," he said casting his eyes downwards as he handed the necklace-tied letter to Thranduil, trying to hide his misery.
Thranduil now looked even more saddened if that was possible at that point.
"Then you will not say goodbye to her before you leave? Son, please, reconsider. Do you not know what that will do to her? I honestly do not fully comprehend this situation. Really, you two have displayed a first class lack of maturity and respect for one another. I expected more from the *both* of you. I should think that the love you two share would have overcome such trifle matters by now."
Legolas jerked his head back up and stared at his father, his eyes practically popping out of his head. He had no words to contradict him.
"What? Oh son really, you seem astonished at what I just said. I may be old but I am not blind you know! Hahaha.. Now please, will you not reconsider?"
Legolas let out a long sigh. Thranduil was making things extremely difficult as always and all Legolas wanted to do was ride far away from Mirkwood undisturbed and in peaceful misery.
"Father, I honestly have no sufficient argument to offer you. All I ask is that you give this letter to her tonight when I have gone. I realize that she will be upset to say the least but please do not make those requests of me. I have thought things through and this is for the best. Understand that I have my reasons," he said in a very monotonous tone.
And so, Thranduil could do nothing more than have faith that his son was doing the right thing. This placed great responsibility on him, though, and he knew that somewhere in between exposing his little game and handing her the letter, Dileriyen would adopt a hostile attitude, threatening anything and everything that crossed her path. It was inescapable and sadly, understandable. Then again, as he rethought his son's actions, he began to see his reasoning and it became clear to him why Legolas did not want her to know: she would want to go with him. Suddenly, Thranduil became very nervous. She was his daughter in all respects except for blood and he loved her very very dearly. Sending his son into the unknown was painful enough but to have her follow him was simply madness and unthinkable. Simply put, it was out of the question. Legolas could take care of himself- he had had sufficient training for battle in his early years from the best tutors. She, on the other hand, detested battle for obvious reasons and refused to take part in any such matters (she never weilded a sword after *that* night). Therefor, she was not ready.
At that moment, a brown-haired elf, led by a servant, entered the room and bowed, forcing both Thranduil and Legolas out of their gloomy thoughts.
"Milord" he said politely and hastily.
"Yes lad, who might you be?"
"I am named Alhera. I have come from Imladris in haste under orders from the Lord Elrond to summon a representative for the Council- you know of the matter which I refer to."
"Yes yes, of course. Well, by the Valar you do have good timing my boy. My son Legolas was about to depart for Imladris. He bears important messages for Lord Elrond and the council members. He will be representing Mirkwood."
"My Prince, we must hurry back for time is against us. How soon would it be possible for us to leave milord?"
"I am ready Alhera, I just need a few moments with my father; will you be so kind as to wait by the horses? I shall be along shortly."
"Of course sir" Alhera slightly nodded his head and hurried outside. Now came time for the true goodbye.
Legolas and Thranduil hugged and held on tightly to one another, understanding that this was now a true parting of ways for a while and that their hearts had not deceived them. It was a very painful moment for both.
"Take care my boy." He said, still holding his son tightly. "And come back safe and sound. We have fallen into dark times and I fear the war for the Ring has begun. I want you back here in one piece when all this is over!" he said trying to lighten the mood and smiled.
"It's a promise father. Do not worry about me. I love you. And please- look after her and make sure she does not follow me... "
"I love you too son. Go now and be not troubled!"
So, Legolas left, shedding a few tears in spite of himself. He went outside and mounted his horse, Alhera waiting patiently on a horse next to him. Legolas was somewhat glad that he would not have to be traveling alone. He took one last look at the balcony that was hers and then, they left, silently and solemnly.
*********************
Dileriyen woke up promptly at 11 o'clock and spent her day hanging around her room doing this and that, feeling too ill to over-exert herself. Throughout the day, waves of nausea hit her over and over again and appetite was something she greatly lacked. At 9 o'clock the ball would commence and all day the hustle and bustle could be heard everywhere around the palace. But, Dileriyen was only going to the ball for one reason: to apologize and beg for forgiveness. True, she had decided to let him be but it just got to the point where that was impossible to do. Her anger had subsided and now she was in pure misery. She couldn't go on this way. She missed him, she needed him- desperately. They had never been separated for even one day in the past for Valar's sake- so one can imagine the toll this had taken on the two.
*I will get down on my knees if necessary; hopefully, you don't hate me enough to turn away from me.*
The day passed slowly and dully and it was now a quarter past nine. Dileriyen (still somewhat ill) stood in the middle of the room in a beautiful silver dress that shimmered as the moonlight played with it. But, she was terribly nervous. Nervous and scared at the thought of his rejection. She finally got up the nerve to leave ten minutes later and headed for ball, feeling her face go pale.
**********************
The crowd was grand. As expected, almost the entire kingdom had shown up. The crowd parted and slightly bowed as they let Dileriyen pass through and take her place next to the King. The partying then recommenced. There was music, beautiful singing, vigorous dancing and plenty of gossip and chatter to last several centuries. Everyone was having fun- except for Dileriyen. She was just plain confused as she sat to Thranduil's right and looked questioningly at the seat to his left, which stood empty. She then refocused her gaze on the crowd, searching in vain for him amongst the thousands of blonde heads, a brunette here and there. She sat there and continued searching for a total of forty-five minutes. But he was nowhere to be found and it didn't look like he would be putting in an appearance anytime soon. She finally cracked.
"Thranduil, where is he? Don't tell me he has refused to attend."
Thranduil started to fidget nervously and go red, confusing Dileriyen to the point of no return.
"Well...er...ah...child, come. Walk outside with me for a moment. There are a few things I need to tell you and I have put if off for far too long as it is."
"Thranduil what's wrong? I do not understand! Why do you look so upset?" she asked frustrated.
"Just walk with me and I shall explain." He said as he got up, holding something in his hands behind his back, which Dileriyen had not the opportunity to see.
They walked toward the pond that looked breathtaking under the full moon and stars specked all over the black web that embraced all it touched.
"Alright Thranduil, out with it! I demand to know what's going on. What am I not being told? Why are we out here when we should be at the ball? And for the love of the Valar, where is Legolas?" she asked out of breath. Somebody had a lot of explaining to do.
"I shall answer all your questions child but first I must ask for your forgiveness and understanding."
"What ever for?" she asked desperately. "Thranduil please, tell me what is happening!"
He sighed. "I lied to you about throwing the ball to marry Legolas off. And you, for that matter. I merely wanted to give you two a little nudge in the right direction but my good intentions have led to some bad results. I deeply apologize for all the trouble I have caused. I hope you are not too upset with me."
"Oh Thranduil..." she said quietly, her disappointment clearly reflecting in her eyes.
"Please, let me finish."
Surprised, she asked: "There's more?"
"Oh believe me my darling, there is *much* more..."
He then related to her the full story of Gollum, Sauron and the One Ring. Dileriyen then learned of why Aragorn had truly come, the Council Lord Elrond had just summoned and of Gollum's escape. She forgot her anger for a few minutes.
"So, the messenger Alhera arrived this morning at a rather fortunate time and summoned us to the Council. I sent a representative back to Imladris with him, very early this morning."
"Oh my. This is troubling news. I honestly cannot imagine whom you could have selected for such a mission. It requires a lot of sacrifice and involves great risk. It is saddening to think that this poor soul, whomever he may be, probably won't be back for quite a while, if indeed he makes it out of this thing alive. Who could take on such a responsibility?"
Thranduil looked gravely into her eyes but did not speak and sudden realization dawned on Dileriyen along with the words she had just spoken. Her eyes watered and she tried to speak once more but no voice would come and she struggled for some moments.
"No...Please tell me he didn't..." she said very slowly and quietly, slightly shaking her head from side to side, not ready to accept what was true.
"I am very sorry daughter. Valar help us all in the days to come..." said Thranduil as he softly kissed her forehead and handed her the letter.
"He left this for you." He spoke gently and then left her to read her letter in peace. He made his way back to the ball.
************************
Dileriyen sat down on the grass in a state of shock and removed the necklace from the letter. She held it up and marvelled at its beauty under the starlight. She put it on and could not take her eyes off its beauty for a few minutes. Now came the hard part. She opened the letter and took in every single word, her heart still wanting to deny the whole situation. When she was done she sat there motionless, still unwilling to accept the things she had heard and read. Silently looking around her, she realized where she was sitting. This was where everything had started. The fight, the cruel words, the pain. It brought her over the edge and she started to cry and shiver uncontrollably, speaking broken sentences to herself amidst the sobs. It was then that a light but cool wind picked up. And the wind carried her cries over land, water and air through the still night as the moon and stars looked sadly down upon her.
*************************
Legolas had been riding all day with only two brief stops to rest. He was very tired though and needed sleep, as he was not used to this never-ending riding. All was quiet until a light wind picked up. It made him shiver but not so much from its coolness, rather from the echo of a distant voice that it brought with it. Legolas thought that he could almost hear the wind crying, contributing largely to his grieved heart.
*Nonsense* he thought. *It is just the wind playing tricks on me and I am tired.* He dismissed what he heard and the two stopped to take some rest. Alhera took first watch as Legolas tried in vain to sleep. He tossed and turned but it was useless. The wind would not leave him...
***************************
A/N: :((((((((((((( I got upset even writing this chapter, I don't know how you guys feel about reading it:(
