First of all I am sorry that this took so long to get out. It sat on my hard drive till my beta gave me a quick boot in the pants, and then she got boggled down with stuff so she kept for another week. So all the blame must go to me.

Anyway this is the last chapter besides the epilogue which should be up in a week or so.

Thanks so much for the reviews.

Remember I do not own anything related to Lord of the Rings, which is a very sad thing. (eyes Celede holding a candle stick)

Faeryn

For all of you who enjoy her little sayings.

I stared at the ceiling and then snorted.

The One Ring in a gift box!

I grabbed a pillow and jammed it over my head.

Spider Eggs in a hand basket!

I moaned and looked at the ceiling again.

Gollum's BREATH!

I practically howled as I jerked myself out of the bed and went to the window.

What did I do to deserve the sleepless night? Apparently, elves do have them. I started to bang my head, in a rather interesting and rhythmic pattern, if I do say so, against the window.

It was the only thing I could do since sleep seemed to want to stay away from me! Sighing,I moved back to the bed and grabbed the recently abused pillows and slammed them over my head.

I hate it when I can't sleep.

Lying there, I finally felt a little of the tension from the confrontation with Legolas edge out of my body. Sighing, I winced as I wiggled my pinky toe. The walk home from the Ball had left me in a little bit of pain.

I did come out with one more club, as I have mentioned I am sure, but so far I was still missing two brothers.

I wondered how Palia was.

Shrugging, I allowed myself to settle down into the blankets and sigh as my mind began to drift. That is, it was drifting until something settled against my mattress.

I ignored it; it was more than likely one of my brothers checking on me after he came home. I didn't sense anything evil from it, so there was really no reason to yank myself form my hard-earned rest.

Until whatever it was knocked into my already pain filled toe.

To say a screamed, rolled off the bed, took most of sheets with me, began swearing (not creative imagery here, it was pure Elvish swearing) at whoever was on my bed, and blinked back smarting tears is not only an exaggeration, it's pure lies.

I have mentioned my aversion to pain?

Looking up I could only groan at what, and who, I saw.

Blue eyes and blond hair.

I will give you three guesses and the first two don't count.

"Greenleaf." My tone, if rather curt, was rather explainable. I wanted sleep. He was interfering. See the problem?

"Celede, are you still mad?" His eyes widened, and I was reminded of a certain hobbit that kept stealing my food. In other words, it did nothing but irritate me.

He laughed at my expression.

I snarled something else that I believed to be the best phrase for the occasion.

He reached over, his blond hair almost white in the moonlight, and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "Marry me."

Even the crickets stopped their sounds.

I blinked, several times and in rapid secession to each other. "What?" Maybe I had misunderstood him and maybe I was in some weird, twisted version of the path of dreams.

He rolled onto his back and locked his hands behind his head. It was silent for a moment. "I had it all planned out tonight."

He had what planned out? Is he still having the same conversation I am?

"I was hoping you would come to the banquet so I could have time to work up the nerve, but you didn't." There was a slight chastisement in his voice, which I ignored.

I never allowed anyone to guilt me into blushing.

"I was hoping to sneak away with you for some alone time and then I was going to ask you with Earendil shining overhead. Then I was going to take you back to palace to spend the rest of the night dancing, happy to know our secret was safe for the time being."

He rolled back onto his stomach, his eyes lit with some type of sick amusement. "However, most of what I have planned with you seems to take an unexpected turn of events."

Isildor's temptation!

He wanted to marry me. As in make me a Greenleaf and Princess.

Didn't this elf realize that I was still attempting to get used to the fact that I was in a relationship with him? I looked at him with eyes I am sure rivaled Frodo Baggins' in size.

"Celede," he said softly, as if he either noticed my surprise or panic (maybe both). "I have loved you my entire life; I am pretty sure we got that covered. I told you I would wait and I plan to, for however long you need, but can you at least give me some type of answer?"

Answer. As in response to the question he just asked me.

I don't even have a phrase that could cover my horror.

Okay Celede think! I chewed on my bottom lip, looking at his rather handsome profile and eyes dark with emotions I don't even want to begin to look into. Did I love this elf enough to marry him and spend the rest of Arda being vexed by him and his fumbling ways?

I chewed harder as I thought about the years absent from his presence, the years I had spent annoying and being annoyed, the time he had been spending trying to get me to even admit that I liked him. Loved him.

Okay, I will admit that I love him. That is actually rather easy (have yourself mentally repeat it around a thousand times, rant and swing your club, attempt to knock your own hand off, and then swear around a thousand different phrases all creatively strung together and it will sink in) and there was really only one logical conclusion to that ending.

Sucking in a depth breath, I slowly let it out. "Okay."

He blinked several times. "Okay to what?"

I smacked him upside the head. He deserved it. Climbing to my feet, I glared at him and turned to head to the kitchen to make some tea. "How many questions with life altering answers did you ask me tonight? You really are a bumbling dwarf!"

My movement was cut off as I headed to the kitchen when I was picked up and dropped onto the bed.

Let's just say that there are some areas in which he is not quite a bumbling dwarf.

~*~

That next morning was rather interesting. Waking up in the arms of the elf you just gave your life away to in a series of moments (the conversation you perverted people!) is rather a--delightful moment.

Especially when he is playing with your hair.

"Legolas Greenleaf." My tone was lazy from sleep and I glared at him from under lashes that had fluttered half shut at his ministrations. "Don't you think you should be getting back to the palace soon?"

He traced the light bruise on my cheek with gentle fingers. "Why?"

I blinked at him, attempting to come up with a reason. Suddenly I shot up and gave him a rather horrified glance. "My brothers!"

He cast a slightly impish grin at me. "I talked to them before I left and they stayed at the palace."

I grabbed the pillow under his head and proceeded to beat him with it. He gave me a startled look before grabbing a pillow of his own and returning the favor.

My years of experience in beating my two brothers to death seemed to pay off however, as I won that conflict.

"You," I said, waving the pillow under his nose, "may be the best archer in Mirkwood, but I am the best at pillow fights, and don't you EVER forget it either." I stuck my nose in the air and screeched when I was knocked down and rolled.

"Too bad then that Orc's can't be killed by using pillows. It would be a much easier battle." He pursed his lips casually as if he wasn't squeezing the air out of me.

I glared at him.

"Legolas." My tone was sweet as honey. Warning number one! I reached up and twisted his hair around my fingers smiling innocently. Hello, warning numbers two. He leaned down.

"Yes?"

I shoved. "Get OFF!" He yelped as he went off balance and fell onto the floor. I sniffed down at him and flounced out of the room to make breakfast.

After yanking on a clean tunic and pants I managed to cook us both a rather yummy fruit dish I had created (yes people remember cooking is one of the rare arts I do have an accomplishment in) and called over my shoulder to him.

As I looked down I blinked at the silver ring that adorned my index finger. I had forgotten that he had slipped it on last night. I stared at for some time as I smiled slightly.

Then my smile grew to positively wicked lengths. Silver Ring, Halia.

I love my life.

~*~

I glared at him. "I am not putting that, "I pointed to the atrocity of a dress full of lace, frills and other scandalous things, "on. Period, and end of discussion."

Tadrien looked at me in high amusement as Palia sighed into her hands.

It had been nearly two hours since Legolas had left, and the first thing my brothers had done was tackle me to the floor and demand to know everything that happened.

They were worse than a bunch of old women.

Oh of course Tadrien was completely closed mouth when it came to him and Palia, but when it came to Legolas and myself, he had to know EVERYTHING.

This is why I grew up with an Elven Lady who can read minds, so that I can have a resistance to annoying elves' questions. If they wanted answers then they could just go ahead and ask Galadriel because I am not spilling.

It's none of their business anyway.

But I sure hope someone is giving Legolas hell back at the castle. Turnabout is only fair play.

But right then I had to find a way to get out of the Talon before I found myself caught up in the middle of another Last Alliance. This time between She-elves and my brothers to get me into some type of horrendous outfit.

Let's see...smile, agree to a moderately less lace filled dress, demand to be left alone to change, grab club, and sneak out window! I am SO free.

Opps that is Tadrien...there's Palia, okay time to run.

Which I did.

Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for me, my days as a scout came in handy. For those who are getting the wrong impression let me clear it up for them. I was the one who found the orcs and then ran like I was being chased by...well half naked orc is something that makes you run very fast.

There are some mysteries of life that need to stay mysteries.

Back to the point. I out ran my brothers. And Palia. Honestly, how did they think they where going to catch me? I can think of a few things faster than they, such as an angry Haldir, a Mirkwood spider, Legolas with a basket of apples on his head, and several other things (I have mentioned half-naked orc?) so it was rather easy.

I made it to the palace around noon. I am happy to mention three very important things. One; I was alone. Two; I did not have a dress on. Three; I had managed to avoid smacking my already sore toe again.

To say I yelped when strong arms wrapped around my waist and spun me around is something I think needs to go without saying.

To say I almost fainted with shock at the fact that it was King Thranduil who had picked me up also needs to go unnoticed. He said something (I am still wondering exactly what) and I just stood there, my face slack with shock.

"Celede?"

I smiled brightly at Thranduil and then asked him, my teeth only slightly gritted, where Legolas was.

He pressed his lips together and attempted not to laugh at something in my expression, heated anger perhaps, and said something about him working on his archery.

I nodded. I mean what else are you supposed to do? I may have been engaged to Legolas, but still, I had no intention of verbally abusing Thranduil until after the wedding.

Which means Legolas got to be the one who received all of my frustrations. Especially since I am still dodging my brothers and Palia. If I had known that last night would have given the girl this much confidence I would have waited until after I was married to force her and Tadrien together.

He was exactly where his father said he would be, him and some elves I recognized as shooting friends. In other words, he got together with some of his training buddies, beat them around, and then they went and had lunch.

For some reason interrupting this wonderful display of male egotism was something I felt slightly giddy to do.

One of them, a brunette I noticed absently, nudged Legolas. He turned and a smile lit his face, until he got a good look at my face.

I felt a rather evil smile pull at my lips when mild panic began to play in his eyes.

"Legolas." If my tone was acid, it really wasn't my fault. Think of the stress of the past few weeks and I think I have a rather good counter argument.

"Celede!" He forced some cheerfulness into his voice, and I can't say I blame him. The last time we met at a place like this I had tried to shoot him and send him to Mandos early.

One of his friends snickered and I don't know which was more evil, the look I gave him, or the look Legolas gave him.

His friends quickly gave an excuse as to places they had to go, which was a complete lie, and left.

Legolas shifted from foot to foot and then seemed to remember he had fought in several wars and lived through some very dangerous adventures as one of the nine, had crossed middle earth in a matter of months as one of the three hunters, and walked the paths of the dead.

He still looked scared.

"Legolas," I said sweetly. I decided to start out with a rather nice tone. "How do you feel about dresses?"

He blinked, as if he was trying to place together an answer. "Better yet, how do you feel about ME in a dress?" It clicked then.

"Celede, you always look ravishing in a dress, but there is a different sort of attractiveness with you in a pair of pants. I really have no preferences as to which you have on."

I smiled then, some of my frozen nature shifting. "Smart Elf. Second, besides your father, whom ELSE have you told?'

He raised a hand to the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. My eye began to twitch.

"Just dad."

I eyed in him in a rather hostile manner. It wasn't that I disliked being engaged to him, I found I rather did, it was the fact that I needed time to adjust. Being engaged was a big deal; being engaged to a PRINCE was just stressful.

Legolas seemed to notice this with one of his rare moments of insight and he walked over and took my hand. "Want to take a ride around the woods with me this afternoon?"

I blinked at him. "Why?"

He sighed then. "Must there always be a why with you?"

I smiled then, a real one this time. "Yes."

He shook his head. "Well there is the fact that we get away from my father," I almost snicker at this, he HAD been harassed then! "And there is the fact that we can spend some time alone with each other."

The offer of riding with him just went up several notches on the attractive scale

I nodded my assent.

I had not realized, however, that he wished to SHARE a horse.

I was still mumbling creative phrases under my breath as we rode Arod through the forest. Now while Legolas has very nice arms and chest muscles I must say that I was not really happy with him.

I have dignity! I have pride!

Who am I kidding?

I must admit though, that I would have appreciated this much more if I was sitting in a tree with him or in a glade with a bunch of flowers.

I don't care what all those silly court ladies think of riding on a smelly horse that tends to pause to leave dung. It is not what I would call absolutely romantic.

The well-muscled parts of his body I was pressed against did help, however.

"Is there a particular point to this journey, or are we just pretending to be wandering elves and hope we don't wander into spider territory?"

His sigh melted into my hair and I had to bite back a smile at the pure exasperation in his tone.

"There is a point."

"Which is what?"

"You'll see in a moment."

There was a comparable silence.

"Legolas."

"Yes, Celede?"

"It's been a moment and I still don't see."

This time I did smile at the muttered curses that filtered near my ear. He seemed to realize I was playing him like a well tuned fiddle because he tightened his grip on my waist and attempted to match me in the creative department.

He failed.

However about that time we reached what could only be called a small meadow full of late wildflowers and the soft songs of birds.

We spent a wonderful afternoon rolling about the flowers, talking, braiding each others hair, and simply enjoying the lack of pressure that we knew was going to hit us head on.

We were forced to head to the palace only because of growling stomachs. Legolas had forgotten about that, and I am simply going to say it was HIS fault. We are getting married one day and he should get used to carrying the blame.

I must admit my favorite moment of the night was when I cornered Halia.

"So, Lady," if my tone was positively dripping, then it was positively dripping. I made no move to hide the candle stick I was brandishing (remember gold and silver only when you are dealing with royalty), "feel free to congratulate me on this ring of mine."

Halia looked highly irritated. Actually now that I think of it, if she had decided to follow Legolas to Mordor that look would have been a rather useful weapon. Unfortunately, it held no effect on me.

Unfortunately, the King must have found out something of my activities because he made a particular point to embarrass me that evening. In other words, royal speech.

If that wasn't bad enough, and I more than thought it was, he decided that Legolas and I should have our own personal dance.

Have we gone over the dancing theme ENOUGH to recognize the fact that I do NOT like it? It is difficult to enjoy being in the arms of your intended when the entire population of the wood is staring you at.

I must admit that my vow of not letting any of the royal family members have it until after the wedding was slowly being threatened.

But when Legolas took me to the balcony and kissed me...lets say that I was in a much more forgiving mood.