Chapter Four
Such grace. such beauty rested on her dark head. Legolas felt a pang of guilt as he watched her stroke her son gently as she sat on the edge of his bed. Legolas had been walking down the stone hallway when he saw the door ajar, and melodious singing reached his welcoming ears. It was the song of fair Elbereth. the song she had sung tearfully to her moaning husband when he lay in the houses of healing as the healer tried desperately to bring the arrow from his side.
Arwen perhaps would never know of his feelings. He hoped that she would not know soon for it would seem treason to lost king. He sighed deeply, yet almost inaudibly. Yet it seemed to reach her ears. She glanced towards the slightly open door and caught sight of the blonde elf.
'Ai, Legolas, I did not know you were there,' she called out to him softly.
He rebuked himself for his carelessness but replied to the lady, 'I am sorry I was just passing by, yet I was overcome by the beauty of your song of Elbereth of the stars. I hindered my steps to hearken the verse and you have caught me. It was very wrong of me not to make myself known.'
'Speak no more, Legolas, for I hold nothing against you.'
Legolas bowed gratefully.
'But please, come in,' she beckoned to the empty spot on the edge of her son's bed.
Legolas entered the room and sat down nervously. He bit the corner of his lip and gazed down at the sleeping prince. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, and his eyes were scrunched up in the fashion in which he normally slept.
'I know comprehend how my father must have felt in raising my brothers and I,' Arwen sighed unhappily, 'and my mother went overseas when I was so young, just as little Oren is.'
Legolas put a gentle hand on her shoulder as her gaze was even with the floor.
'I am alone,' she continued, 'I do not wish to complain, yet I feel I must voice this pain. Surely, I have many loving helpers, yet I am alone to bring up my son, and how he will feel to grow up with out a father. I cannot be both figures in his life.'
'You must be his mother, and his mother alone,' Legolas said, 'do not try to replace Aragorn, and Oren will recognize how you have raised him. Yet do not say you are alone for I will be here always, to help you, and to guide your son if a father is needed.'
****************************
The cool morning breeze brushed Arwen's face gently the next morning. She was wandering through the city and she happened to come to the shooting range. The place was empty save one particular blonde elf.
The golden sun shone happily down on his yellow hair, and bare shoulders; for he was topless, and this made Arwen's cheekbones flush a tinge of rosy pink. She stood with one hand against the pillar that hid half her poised body and gazed at Legolas with a new interest. She almost slapped herself in the face for spying on him, especially when he was in this state of undress, yet the sight of his raised arm, and hawk-like eyes narrowed as he beheld the target before him sent a shiver throughout her body that thrilled her till she squirmed. With a twang, the arrow was free and it flew through the air before slicing the first arrow that lay embedded in the red centre of the target seconds later.
Even from the little distance that was between them, Arwen could see the sweat glistening on his shoulders and he stopped to push the golden hair from his eyes. She smiled slightly and felt an urge to go to him. Arwen was not a shy elf. She started forward towards the blonde elf and smiled sweetly when he saw her. The tips of his ears burned when he remembered he was shirtless, and he bent over to pick up his clothes, which he slid over his head.
She would not deny that he was desirable in her eyes. She remembered distinctly the memory of the two of them in their young years upon their first meeting. He had been riding through the woods of Imladris and she was walking through the trees and he fell from his horse before her with an arrow in his leg. She had lifted him gently onto his horse with little effort, which was surprising of a she-elf. Ever since then they had been good friends, yet now there was an alien feeling.
Legolas sensed something in the air between them. She had not spoken a word; she just stood there looking at him, and he looked down at her fair face steadily. His breath caught in his throat, for he yearned to wrap his arms around her waist and look deep into her eyes, and to kiss her tenderly. But the memory of Aragorn still lingered, and he knew it was not the time; ai he feared that she had pledged herself to Estel for life and he would never get his chance.
Yet something in her eyes made Legolas do the first rash act of his life. He leaned in close to her and brushed his lips on hers for less then a second, yet she surprised him even more than he ever surprised her.
After her eyes widened to the size of plates, she raised her hands to his cheeks and pulled him closer to her. He then wrapped his arms around her and held her there for several moments. But it soon passed. When they separated, her eyes were horrified. Her hand flew to her lips and she began to shake violently.
'What have I done?' She whispered in a scared voice. She had just betrayed her love; her only love. The thing she felt for Legolas was just lust, and nothing would ever measure up to how she had felt for Aragorn. She would not give her life up for Legolas; she would not give herself to him either. She had made a terrible mistake. It had just been to ease her pain, that kiss was.
She looked frantically around for something. Something to end it all. With a swift motion she grabbed an arrow from Legolas' quiver. 'Please keep your promise and be as a father to Oren,' she said, and with that she plunged the arrow through her heart and fell to the cold floor. Her icy stare that gazed up at him from the floor haunted Legolas for the rest of his long life, for he knew that the kiss had been the cue for her death, and even Elrond did not see it fit to save her from her appointed fate.
Such grace. such beauty rested on her dark head. Legolas felt a pang of guilt as he watched her stroke her son gently as she sat on the edge of his bed. Legolas had been walking down the stone hallway when he saw the door ajar, and melodious singing reached his welcoming ears. It was the song of fair Elbereth. the song she had sung tearfully to her moaning husband when he lay in the houses of healing as the healer tried desperately to bring the arrow from his side.
Arwen perhaps would never know of his feelings. He hoped that she would not know soon for it would seem treason to lost king. He sighed deeply, yet almost inaudibly. Yet it seemed to reach her ears. She glanced towards the slightly open door and caught sight of the blonde elf.
'Ai, Legolas, I did not know you were there,' she called out to him softly.
He rebuked himself for his carelessness but replied to the lady, 'I am sorry I was just passing by, yet I was overcome by the beauty of your song of Elbereth of the stars. I hindered my steps to hearken the verse and you have caught me. It was very wrong of me not to make myself known.'
'Speak no more, Legolas, for I hold nothing against you.'
Legolas bowed gratefully.
'But please, come in,' she beckoned to the empty spot on the edge of her son's bed.
Legolas entered the room and sat down nervously. He bit the corner of his lip and gazed down at the sleeping prince. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, and his eyes were scrunched up in the fashion in which he normally slept.
'I know comprehend how my father must have felt in raising my brothers and I,' Arwen sighed unhappily, 'and my mother went overseas when I was so young, just as little Oren is.'
Legolas put a gentle hand on her shoulder as her gaze was even with the floor.
'I am alone,' she continued, 'I do not wish to complain, yet I feel I must voice this pain. Surely, I have many loving helpers, yet I am alone to bring up my son, and how he will feel to grow up with out a father. I cannot be both figures in his life.'
'You must be his mother, and his mother alone,' Legolas said, 'do not try to replace Aragorn, and Oren will recognize how you have raised him. Yet do not say you are alone for I will be here always, to help you, and to guide your son if a father is needed.'
****************************
The cool morning breeze brushed Arwen's face gently the next morning. She was wandering through the city and she happened to come to the shooting range. The place was empty save one particular blonde elf.
The golden sun shone happily down on his yellow hair, and bare shoulders; for he was topless, and this made Arwen's cheekbones flush a tinge of rosy pink. She stood with one hand against the pillar that hid half her poised body and gazed at Legolas with a new interest. She almost slapped herself in the face for spying on him, especially when he was in this state of undress, yet the sight of his raised arm, and hawk-like eyes narrowed as he beheld the target before him sent a shiver throughout her body that thrilled her till she squirmed. With a twang, the arrow was free and it flew through the air before slicing the first arrow that lay embedded in the red centre of the target seconds later.
Even from the little distance that was between them, Arwen could see the sweat glistening on his shoulders and he stopped to push the golden hair from his eyes. She smiled slightly and felt an urge to go to him. Arwen was not a shy elf. She started forward towards the blonde elf and smiled sweetly when he saw her. The tips of his ears burned when he remembered he was shirtless, and he bent over to pick up his clothes, which he slid over his head.
She would not deny that he was desirable in her eyes. She remembered distinctly the memory of the two of them in their young years upon their first meeting. He had been riding through the woods of Imladris and she was walking through the trees and he fell from his horse before her with an arrow in his leg. She had lifted him gently onto his horse with little effort, which was surprising of a she-elf. Ever since then they had been good friends, yet now there was an alien feeling.
Legolas sensed something in the air between them. She had not spoken a word; she just stood there looking at him, and he looked down at her fair face steadily. His breath caught in his throat, for he yearned to wrap his arms around her waist and look deep into her eyes, and to kiss her tenderly. But the memory of Aragorn still lingered, and he knew it was not the time; ai he feared that she had pledged herself to Estel for life and he would never get his chance.
Yet something in her eyes made Legolas do the first rash act of his life. He leaned in close to her and brushed his lips on hers for less then a second, yet she surprised him even more than he ever surprised her.
After her eyes widened to the size of plates, she raised her hands to his cheeks and pulled him closer to her. He then wrapped his arms around her and held her there for several moments. But it soon passed. When they separated, her eyes were horrified. Her hand flew to her lips and she began to shake violently.
'What have I done?' She whispered in a scared voice. She had just betrayed her love; her only love. The thing she felt for Legolas was just lust, and nothing would ever measure up to how she had felt for Aragorn. She would not give her life up for Legolas; she would not give herself to him either. She had made a terrible mistake. It had just been to ease her pain, that kiss was.
She looked frantically around for something. Something to end it all. With a swift motion she grabbed an arrow from Legolas' quiver. 'Please keep your promise and be as a father to Oren,' she said, and with that she plunged the arrow through her heart and fell to the cold floor. Her icy stare that gazed up at him from the floor haunted Legolas for the rest of his long life, for he knew that the kiss had been the cue for her death, and even Elrond did not see it fit to save her from her appointed fate.
