Disclaimer: Everything Middle Earth belongs to Tolkien. No money is being made.

01/10/06: Well...this is one chapter people either loved or hated, and in all honesty after rereading it again...I can't help but cringe, haha. What the hell was I thinking? Anyway, I added a few things here and there just to buildElenmírë's character a bit, but this really is an awkward chapter, isn't it? Hahaha.

The Imperfect One
By: JDArc

Chapter Two: An Encounter with A Prince and A Mary Sue

"Those hobbits are rather fascinating creatures," Elenmírë commented to Elrohir and Elladan as their horses trotted along the borders of Rivendell. For the past ten hours, they hadawaited the arrival of Prince Legolas but had heard and seen nothing of the Prince or of any danger that might be lurking. Their horses neighed quietly, just as bored as their riders.

"Yes, they are," Elladan agreed, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smirk. The hobbits had become a lively bunch ever since Frodo Baggins of the Shire had finally awoken from unconsciousness. The banquet that they had held the night of his recovery was one full of laughter and merriment, complete with wonderful food and song.

"Merry and Pippin have grown very fond of you, dear sister," Elrohir said thoughtfully. "They never left your side the whole night of the banquet."

"It's rather unusual," she laughed, "for it was the first time in a long time that anything male had showered me with such attention as they had." She shook her head, still in disbelief.

"They are truly smart, then," Elladan said sincerely, reaching over to pat her hands. She blushed furiously, hiding her face within her hands if attempting to stop the color from flooding her face, for it was something she rarely did.

"Thank you," she answered modestly, "but I fear it is quite pathetic that the only creatures to find me attractive are Halflings." They chuckled lightly, but the sound of hooves brought silence to their lips at once.

"Shh," Elrohir shushed, squinting through the trees into the distance. "There is a company riding in our direction." Instinctively, Elenmírë reached for the hilt of her blade while the twins were ready with bow and arrow. Minutes had passed when the group of riders suddenly came into clear view, and they saw that it was the company of Elves.

Elenmírë's mouth fell open for a few seconds, wondering if her eyes were truly deceiving her for there, leading the company to them, was the most amazing looking Elf that she had ever laid her eyes upon. 'Oh merciful Elbereth, but he is beautiful!' she sighed silently. His head was held up regally as his horse trotted closer and closer, and she could see the oceanic wonderland of his eyes. His long blond hair, half of which was held back by a braid, fell softly over his shoulders, the wind gently dancing through its silky strands. As he drew nearer, his face became more distinct, chiseled to perfection by a steady hand. She slowly let out her breath, never realizing that she had been holding it, willing for her pounding heart to lapse back to a normal pace.

She forced her eyes away from him, glancing over the rest of his company, and was distressed to see a young human girl riding next to him. She was, Elenmírë noticed with a sinking feeling, almost so physically perfect that it nearly made her stomach rebel with sickness. The young girl could not have been more than eighteen years of age, and she was dressed in unusual attire. Her leggings seemed to be made of rough, dark blue material that clung to her legs like a second skin, and her shirt was flimsy, frilly, and…revealing. It almost looked as though her bust was about to break free at any given moment.

Elenmírë opened her mouth to welcome the company with sharp, sarcastic words the way she had welcomed the other representatives before (much to Elladan and Elrohir's delight), but at that moment, their horses stopped in their tracks, and the Elf lifted his eyes to hers, erasing all language from her mind. He quietly studied her, a look of recognition passing across his face, but then he turned to look at the twins, and bewilderment troubled his countenance when he stared at their raised weapons.

Elrohir glanced at Elenmírë, waiting for her quick tongue to demand who the strangers were, for it was what she did to every one of the other guests, and he thought that this case would be no different. Yet, she said not one word, appearing dazed and confused. Of course, she wouldn't know who the Elf was as the twins did, for she never did like roaming outside the city limits of Rivendell due to her parents' past, but he was rather stunned to see her so silent.

"Elrohir, Elladan, is this how you welcome an old friend?" the Elf asked, looking from one to the other. They both eased themselves of their weapons, seeing at how frozen their sister suddenly was, before they jumped off their horses in greeting.

"Welcome, Legolas!" Elladan called out, reaching out to clasp his friend's hand. Legolas jumped off his horse with just has much grace, and grinned widely.

"Thank you!" he laughed. "I was not expecting to see both of you poised and ready to shoot me down the way you were! I thought that you two were under enchantments that I dared not make a move." They all shared a laugh, and Elrohir gestured to Elenmírë.

"We are sorry, dear friend," he apologized, shooting a look of curiosity to his sister who remained on her horse. "We thought that our little sister, Elenmírë, was going to address you with hardened words the way she always had when greeting strangers before, but it seems that today she either has no desire to keep us entertained any longer or her tongue has disappeared." Elenmírë scowled, a deep crimson now spreading from her cheeks down to her neck, but from embarrassment or from anger, no one could tell. She refused to greet Legolas on foot and straightened up indignantly.

"My tongue works very well, thank you," she snapped, her eyes flashing over at Legolas and his company, noting that the girl who had ridden beside the Prince now stood beside him.

"Elenmírë, it is wonderful to finally meet you after all I have heard about you from Elladan and Elrohir," Legolas called up to her, his voice sending shivers down her arms, and she hated herself for her reaction to him. 'What in the world is going on with me?' she contemplated inwardly. 'He is but another Elf!' She closed her eyes for a second and bowed her head in reverence.

"The pleasure is mine," she heard herself say, not knowing how she managed to find control over her voice. "We have been awaiting your arrival for some time now."

"I apologize," he answered, looking back to the twins. "We were nearly out of Mirkwood, when Mary Sue," he nodded his head in the girl's direction, "appeared out of a blaze of white light in the middle of a grove of trees! It nearly scared my horses, but after we talked, it seems she is from another world, and we agreed to take her here to Rivendell, so that she may find her way back home."

"Ah, so that is the cause of your delay," Elrohir concluded with his eyebrows raised.

"Part of it, actually," Legolas replied. "A band of orcs tried to attack us, but we survived. Mary Sue even wielded one of my blades with expertise, much to our surprise."Elenmírë felt a rush of jealousy fly over her at the pride she detected in his voice, but she remained silent and cool before any of her sarcasm could fly from her lips.

"Impressive," Elladan commented. "I doubt, however, that any other female could brandish a weapon like our sister." He shot Elenmírë a smile, and she returned one of her own for his compliment.

"Thank you," she replied simply, not knowing what else to say. Although her mind was still reeling from the first eye contact she had held with the Prince, her vocabulary was slowly coming back to her.

She watched as Legolas introduced the girl to Elladan and Elrohir, but what brought Elenmírë's mind crashing back to reality was the girl's reaction when hearing that Elenmírë was the twins' sister. She stared at Elenmírë with questioning, disbelieving eyes that grew more critical as she looked over Elenmírë's tunic, leggings, and finally her írë's feigned neutrality exploded as unchecked rage raced through her veins for she knew that look that Mary Sue bore; she had seen it far too many times in all her fifty and two thousand years of her life. She knew she wasn't as attractive as other Elves, but to see that knowledge on the human girl's face was more than she could finally take, especially now.

She knew it was foolish to deny that her heart called for Legolas; she knew it the moment she laid her eyes on him, but to see him standing so close to one so excruciatingly beautiful, one who looked at her with repulsion, was the final straw. Fate seemed to be at its cruelest at that moment and suddenly angry words rushed out of her mouth, words that she had longed to say to all those who had worn the same look of disgust on their faces in her presence. Two thousand years of pent up aggression was finally coming out, and Mary Sue was going to get the worst of it at this sudden emotional catharsis.

"Why do you stare so rudely, human!" Elenmírë spat angrily, her voice dripping with animosity, and her brothers gaped at her, too shocked to move. Elenmírë had never shown this side of herself. Ever. Her shoulders were shaking with fury, and the look on her face was one that could freeze water.

"I…j-just…it's j-just t-that you don't look anything like your brothers," the girl stuttered, her eyes wide with fright, and she grabbed a hold of Legolas' arm for support. Again, jealousy flared throughout Elenmírë's body, fueling the building anger that she had been feeling for her entire life. Unable to control the torrential floods of pain at the reminder of her inability to be identified with those she wanted so desperately to be like,Elenmírë narrowed her eyes, glaring hatefully at the girl who cowered under her gaze. For reasons she knew not, there was something about this beautiful girl whose offending presence sparked a desire within Elenmírë to take all her lifelong frustrations out on her. One thing was for certain: she wanted to do what she could to stop the girl from staring at her with that gaze she had grown to despise.

"You're lying to me," Elenmírë said flatly, her voice surprisingly calm. Inside she was a whirlwind of emotions, torn between pulling the girl away from Legolas and finally giving in to the breaking of her already damaged heart. "Tell me the truth," she demanded even more icily.

"I-I…I thought you were, I mean to say, I mis-mistook you for a male…" Mary Sue barely whispered it, but the words echoed through Elenmírë's mind, gaining volume to the point where they rung in her ears. She glared at her brothers as they stifled their chuckles, and her eyes roamed over to Legolas, waiting for laughter to escape his lips, but it did not. In fact, he shot her a look of apology, but she looked away, refusing to be softened by his stare. She glared at Mary Sue, who clutched at his arm for dear life. "I so didn't mean to offend you, but-" Mary Sue continued.

"But you did, you impertinent half-wit," Elenmírë cut in, raising her voice. "Do you know who I am, you insolent imbecile? Not only am I second in command to the Guard of Rivendell but also a Lady of the Ruling House of this city, and you dare to insult me by gawking at me like I am some sort of exhibit? I am certainly no male, but I would rather be one than to be an idiotic, cowardly human girl you undoubtedly are, grasping onto the arm of an Elf in such as manner." She took a deep breath, but she was far from finished. Before anyone could get a word in, she started again, her anger stabbing more into Mary Sue's ego. "Whether intended or not, you have spoken words of offense, you disrespectful git, and you will understand that I will not take that sort of demeanor from the likes of a spineless girl like you." Her horse neighed with agreement and stamped its hoof into the ground, as if giving applause.

"I-I'm n-not spineless!" Mary Sue cried, tears filling her eyes, giving Elenmírë an empty satisfaction that her words cut, but it did not ease the self-loathing that was once again building inside of her. "I-I helped L-Legolas fight orcs!"

Elenmírë raised an eyebrow. "And how many did the little girl kill?" she mocked before she could help herself.

Mary Sue raised her head proudly as if to challenge her. "I killed five orcs by myself! With a sword, too!" Elenmírë roared with laughter, though she could tell how hollow and false it sounded even to her own ears. But Mary Sue, unable to tell the difference, wilted against Legolas' side, her self-esteem deflating with each laugh from the She-Elf.

"Five!" Elenmírë sputtered. "Only five! How pathetic, human girl!"

"My name is Mary Sue," she said, choking back a sob into Legolas' shoulder, "not human girl!"

"Elenmírë, that's enough!" Elrohir finally stated, his eyes glaring. "Can't you see you've done enough damage as it is?"

"Dear brother, I haven't done enough," she replied, her eyes narrowed into slits, not in anger, but to prevent the building drops of tears from falling from her eyes. "For two thousand years, I've had to deal with people like that, and for two thousand years I've had to keep everything inside. No longer, dear brother. I've had enough of critical glances, enough of disgusted looks." She gestured to her face. "Look at me, Elrohir! The light is vanishing from my eyes, and my heart is almost too heavy for me to tolerate any longer. And you know the reasons why." She closed her eyes and breathed softly, calming herself down, before lifting her head and raising her hand over them. "I've had enough. Namaarië," she spat over her shoulder before her horse turned and raced through the trees.

Legolas watched the strange She-Elf ride away toward the city, her horse quickly fading in between the foliage. She had been right about one thing: the glow that normally surrounded an Elf was hardly there around her, and her eyes were dull, her face aged and troubled. He could not deny that she was not as appealing as Mary Sue who lay whimpering in his arms, but Elenmírë's pain was so tangible he could feel it with the tips of his fingers.

"Legolas, she was horrible, just horrible!" Mary Sue sobbed, her violet eyes looking up at him. "It's like soo obvious why people look at her the way they do! She didn't need to ask me; she already knew the answer! Ugh! She just wanted to take her anger out on me! She's just a bitter, cynical, jealous old Elf! I can't believe she said all that about me! I'm not cowardly, right Legolas?" He simply shushed her and whispered words of comfort in Elvish as they all started to walk toward Rivendell. Yes, Elenmírë alarmed him when she ranted her angry words, but he could feel that there was something behind it all, and he intended to find out...

TBC...