Disclaimer: Everything Middle Earth belongs to Tolkien.

Author's Note: 01/17/06 - Just a little minor editing here and there...it still feels weird to be writing '06 as the year. I can't believe it's been almost three years since I last touched this story.

The Imperfect One
By: JDArc

Chapter Nine: Under the Weeping Willows

With each step toward Lord Elrond's private office, fear seeped through Elenmírë's veins, and she slowed when she neared the corridor where she knew he was waiting. "How angry is he, Annaril?" she asked her servant, pausing at the last few feet before his office. Annaril placed a reassuring hand on the Lady's shoulder, her voice gentle.

"Do not worry, arwenamin," she said softly. "What he must say is only out of love for you." That did not stop the dread from paralyzing her, and she found she had no control over her legs, and they remained firmly planted to the floor. Annaril gave her a gentle push forward, frowning. "His anger is not directed at only you alone, Elenmírë." Her head snapped as she twisted to look at her handmaiden.

"Who else did he wish to summon?" But Annaril had not the time to answer for Mary Sue was noticeably limping down the same corridor, pausing only when she saw Elenmírë standing there as well. Immediately, Elenmírë narrowed her eyes to glare at the girl who had her right arm in a sling as if she had broken it, but Elenmírë could not help but be pleased with herself at the bruised eye she had given her. She had hit Mary Sue so hard that her face now appeared lopsided, the swelling of the right side of her face purple and puffy.

"What are you doing here?" Mary Sue demanded, trying unsuccessfully to flip her long, jet-black hair out of her face with her left hand.

"My father wishes to see me," Elenmírë said flatly, scrutinizing the sling. "Why do you wear such a thing? I merely gave you a scratch, not a broken arm!" Mary Sue radically replaced the bitterness in her eyes to that of self-pity as she cast her gaze to her right arm.

"You do not know the pain I must endure," she muttered so dramatically that even Annaril rolled her eyes.

"I've suffered far worse," Elenmírë scoffed. "I cannot believe that the One would be someone as pathetic as you! It makes absolutely no sense when you can hardly handle a tiny nick!" Mary Sue straightened up indignantly.

"Well, I never!" she exclaimed. "You really are a jealous person to want to destroy something as beautiful as…well, as me!" She gave her a nasty smirk. "I'm not as stupid as you think I am; I see the way you look at Legolas, El, so I can only understand why you'd want to hurt me, but no matter what you do, who's going to be the one with him in the end? He's perfect, and he deserves no less than that." She looked disdainfully at Elenmírë the way she had when they had first seen each other in the woods, and Elenmírë knew better than to listen to her words, but Mary Sue had hit a nerve the moment she mentioned Legolas, and the anger that had never fully died down was again alive with fervor. "You may be able to beat me down with a sword, but I assure you that you won't win in the end with Legolas. Can you honestly look at yourself, El, and think that he'd want you?" Elenmírë was momentarily petrified, knowing that in her heart, she could not confidently answer yes, and Mary Sue smiled even more evilly at the hesitation on Elenmírë's face. "It's already been prophesized, El. Legolas and I will be together, and if you accept it right now, then maybe your foretold broken heart will heal much sooner."

"I have heard enough from your blistered tongue!" Annaril cried out loudly, far more furious than Elenmírë had ever seen her. "If the Lady had not yet slashed you with her sword, I would grab it myself and do the same damage!" She took a threatening step toward Mary Sue, pointing her finger accusingly. "You have no right to utter such words of disrespect to her, do you understand?"

"Silence!" a voice boomed just further down the hall, and Lord Elrond approached the three of them slowly, his anger so tangible, it filled the air and nearly choked them. He lowered his voice, but Elenmírë knew that his rage grew no less. "Elenmírë, Mary Sue, you will both come with me to my office. And Annaril, please attend to our other guests until I have finished speaking with the both of them." Annaril bowed slightly and shot Elenmírë a look of apology before fleeing to follow his commands.

They entered the room silently, never uttering a word, afraid to upset The Lord of Rivendell even more. He gestured for them to sit in the two chairs in front of him as he stood with his arms crossed, his eyes fiery. "I have no words to express exactly how disappointed I am with the both of you," he began, keeping his voice level. "You know that the peace of Middle Earth depends entirely on the cooperation between the Fellowship and the One, and with both of your childish antics, you two jeopardize the lives of all the Free Peoples of Middle Earth!" He focused his gaze on Elenmírë, and she squirmed under his glare, too ashamed to look up into his face. "Elenmírë, as my daughter and as the Second Captain of the Guard, I relied on you to take Mary Sue under your wing as your apprentice. The day has not yet passed, and here she is before me, injured, not from training, but from the interference of your personal loathing for her!" With her excellent peripheral vision, Elenmírë saw Mary Sue smirk merrily at the scolding. "Have I taught you nothing, Elenmírë?" Tears burned underneath her lids, but she refused to allow herself to shed her tears in Mary Sue's presence, not like that. It was killing her to hear the disappointment in his voice, knowing that she was the reason it was there in the first place. "I trusted you to know better, for you have the wisdom of the many years our People are blessed with."

"I am sorry, father," she managed to let out just above a whisper, but her voice was strangled, and she could say no more for fear of erupting into tears.

"And you, Mary Sue," he addressed, turning his steely gaze to hers so quickly she froze like a deer. "I have welcomed you into my realm with open arms, and I have shown nothing less of kindness to you. Yet, you have disrespected not only my daughter, but the whole of Middle Earth!"

"How did I do that?" she gasped in disbelief in his words. "I've never done anything to-"

"Yes, you have," he cut in icily, clenching his teeth. "I have it on good account that you were heard threatening to decline from this mission, which you readily accepted but yesterday, knowing that the fate of all who live in these lands lies within you. To so nonchalantly discard any thought to those who are in most need of your help is to join the Dark Lord himself in the Land of Mordor!" She shook her head in denial, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"No, Lord Elrond!" she cried out piteously, "I'm not evil like-"

"Quiet!" he shouted, his eyes glowing. "It is in both your destinies to see that this Prophecy is fulfilled, and I will not hear another word of complaint from either of you. As I had said at the Council, you will unite or you will fall. What will it be?" He fell into silence as he stared at the two females, both of whom were motionless in their chairs and deep in thought.

"I will do what I must to save our home, father," Elenmírë finally whispered, "and I shall put my petty aversions aside."

"Yeah, whatever she said," Mary Sue muttered in agreement.

"Now, I will hear no more of cancelled training sessions, nor will I hear of anymore fights over Legolas," Elrond stated with a tone of finality. "There are more important things at risk than competing for the heart of the Prince of Mirkwood. Thank the Valar that he has not yet gone crazy from the combined pressure from the mission ahead and from the rivalry between the two of you for his affections." Mary Sue turned away, hiding her burning cheeks under her long, silky hair, but Elenmírë looked up into her father's face with painful determination.

"He is not mine to have," Elenmírë said fiercely, a lone tear escaping down her cheek. "The Prophecy has written its intentions clearly, and I will do nothing to prevent it from its fulfillment. Preserving the safety of Middle Earth is more imperative to me than satisfying the wishful longings of my own heart." Elrond's stern expression slowly melted into one of compassion as he looked down at her, and the anger he had been feeling for her was slowly ebbing away.

He looked to Mary Sue, and with a tone of definiteness, he declared, "You are dismissed, Mary Sue, and I expect you to meet with Elenmírë early tomorrow morning for your training, with punctuality in mind." She nodded as she sprinted out of the room, her earlier limp now forgotten. Elenmírë got up unsteadily, wavering before her father embraced her hard. His familiar scent of birch trees and grass filled her nostrils, throwing her into a state of nostalgia, and she clutched to him desperately like the tiny, orphaned elf she once was. It had been years since she felt so small, so unprotected, and she wanted nothing more than to frolic back into the safety Elrond had surrounded her in the moment he adopted her as one of his own. Remorse pervaded her entire being for repaying the kind Elf with nothing but displeasure at her actions.

"Father, I am so sorry I disappointed you," she choked out, sobbing into his shoulder. "Maybe it is my human side that makes me so impulsive!"

"Ah, Elenmírë," he whispered sadly, "why must you detest the human blood that runs within you?"

"Because it has made me into such a deformed Elf!" she cried out. "You, father, are Half-Elven, but you are as beautiful to behold as pureblood Firstborns, not only physically, but with wisdom and knowledge as well! Why is it that I was cursed with this awkward, graceless body and hideous face? I am weak, and there is not even enough strength in me to ignore even the tiniest insults from a worthless girl! I do not understand at all."

"You are not what you say you are!" he said angrily, slightly shaking her. "Do you not see that you must believe in yourself, Elenmírë? Care not what others, like Mary Sue, say! There is beauty within your soul, my dear, but only you can free that beauty from the restraints of insecurity that hold it buried deep inside." He sighed. "You have the capability for greatness, if only you allow yourself to trust yourself. I do not know what other advice I can give to you, young one, for I cannot command your mind to believe me. Only you can do that now." He grew quiet for several moments as she quieted her sobs before speaking again. "There are those who see past that visage you hide under."

"You mean Boromir." Her cheeks colored at the thought of him, hating herself for allowing Legolas to interfere with what had the potential to be a beautiful relationship.

"Yes," Elrond confirmed, clearing his throat. "So you must see that there are those who look for more than a pretty face, and if Legolas cannot see that, then he deserves someone like Mary Sue." Elenmírë smiled softly, sadness tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You are right, though it hurts to hear the words spoken," she replied and sighed deeply before detaching herself from his arms. "Diola lle, Ada. (Thank you, father.) I needed to be scolded. My mind has traveled back into its rightful place from out of the clouds." He kissed her forehead before she moved to leave.

"Now, my dear, go to the one who can bring you happiness," he said, his eyes lighting up when her cheeks maintained their rosy color from the earlier mention of Boromir's name. The light around her grew a bit, hovering around her head like a faint halo.

"As you wish," she smiled before leaving his office, and headed straight to the dining hall where she hoped he still was. Upon entering, she was 'attacked' by Merry and Pippin, who pulled and tugged at her arms to lead her to their circular table, where, to her surprise, Sam, Frodo, and Boromir also sat.

"Merry and Pippin were on their feet before I could even react," Boromir laughed in greeting. She sat down next to him while the two hobbits argued who would sit on her other side with Merry finally winning the battle. He smiled smugly as Pippin grumbled, seating himself on Merry's other side, next to Sam, who eyed each of them suspiciously, especially Boromir. Granted, Boromir was acting strangely, his face switching from tension to laughter and back again, particularly when his eyes landed on Frodo, but Elenmírë, too, felt strange urges to glance at Frodo every now and then as the hobbits ate heartily.

"Elenmírë," a voice hissed so softly that only her Elven ears could hear it, and the innate babble of the hobbits hardly made sense to her as she focused her attention on Frodo. The voice grew louder in her ears, but she would be pulled back to reality with a loud comment here and there accompanied by an occasional fit of laughter. Her mind was starting to fall into confusion, and she knew she had to leave before the yearnings to hold the One Ring consumed her.

"Merry, Pip, I am sorry, but I have other duties I must attend to," she lied and immediately hated deceiving her friends. She needed to distance herself for the time being from anyone, especially after the emotional breakdown that she had just fallen victim to in her father's office, and she did not want to be so vulnerable in the presence of the Ringbearer.

"Oi! but you will miss Afternoon Tea!" Pippin protested, his eyes pleading for her to stay in their company.

"I will join you later, my friends," she assured them as she stood, and as Merry and Pippin nodded in acceptance, Boromir got up as well.

"I shall escort the Lady to where she is needed," he proclaimed, and a tiny tinge of irritation assailed her at his proclamation, but she said nothing, waving to the Hobbits as they took their leave. Sam and Frodo both looked up apprehensively at Boromir and Elenmírë before bidding them farewell, and Frodo's haunting eyes caught hers knowingly. She looked away guiltily, rushing out of the dining hall as quickly as she could. They did not stop walking until they were clearly a ways from the commons, and they found themselves in front of another secluded bridge, and with a start, Elenmírë recognized it as the one that she had spotted Arwen and Aragorn on many, many, long years ago when she had discovered the truth of their relationship.

"Elenmírë?" Boromir asked tentatively. "Why did you have such a sudden urge to leave? You had just arrived, and my heart had gladdened to see that you were well. Merry and Pippin would speak of nothing else but of the Shire and of you." She smiled softly at him as they carefully walked over the bridge, staring down into their reflections in the placid stream. Lily pads graced its surface, and like a number of the other gardens of Rivendell, moss-covered rocks and white and red water lilies adorned the water's edge. The trees that surrounded them consisted of one giant sycamore along with weeping willows, whose branches reached low to gently touch the strands of their hair. The smell of the falling leaves and the rushing water was enough to remind them that autumn was fully upon them.

"Did you not feel it?" she asked, sorrow lining her voice. Boromir understood immediately, his face growing grim, and he inhaled deeply before letting out a sigh, and turning to face her, he nodded.

"I feel it gnawing at my very soul," he admitted in a whisper. "Its evil powers are undeniably strong, and I fear for the hobbit. Frodo is inexperienced with such evil, and I worry." Their hands found the each others and clasped, their fingers intertwining.

"That is why I left," she confided, now lifting her gaze to his. "It was calling to me, Boromir. I heard it whispering my name, and I longed to reach to Frodo for it. Especially after an emotionally draining talk with my father, the Ring must have sensed my susceptibility at that moment and called to me." Her voice lowered. "I cannot trust myself in Frodo's presence." Boromir lifted her hand to his lips, and placed a gentle kiss on her palm, his eyes never leaving hers. The sensation of his surprisingly soft lips tenderly brushing her hand brought a blush to her cheeks, and she smiled foolishly, despite the difficult subject at hand.

"I understand, my Lady, for I feel the same," he said softly, his eyes warming with affection. "But, I must confess, when I am in your company, I feel as if I can avoid its evil clutches for a while. I-I feel that you can give me the strength, Elenmírë, to evade its call." His words touched her deeper than any she had heard before, and she could scarcely believe he was directing those sweet words to her and not running away in the opposite direction, but…for some reason it did not seem right to be with Boromir, and she angrily blamed Legolas for ever showing up in Rivendell. Had he not appeared, her feelings for Boromir would not be so tinged with guilt, and, she realized, Mary Sue would not have been included in the whole ordeal for Legolas was the one to bring her. Her bitterness grew for the Elven Prince of Mirkwood, despising him for being the one she could not have and for bringing the epitome of beauty that was Mary Sue to torture her already damaged self-esteem. Her loathing was its greatest at the thought that he had polluted her ability to look favorably upon another without him entering her mind, and she wanted to rant at the unfairness of it all, especially when one as kind and as compassionate as Boromir deserved her undivided attention.

Boromir's fingers were gently stroking her cheek, and she was once again quickly drawn out of her thoughts. Her heart was mercilessly beyond her control now, noting how close he had become, the lines of his face stretched with worry. His eyes pleaded with hers, but she knew not why until he spoke again. "If my words displease you, I mean not to bother you further of the longings of my heart, Elenmírë," he sadly whispered, and she finally became aware of her facial features, silently cursing Legolas for triggering the frown that had manipulated her lips. She instantly relaxed her expression, and shook her head. 'Curse you, Legolas for controlling my thoughts!' she wanted to yell.

"No, Boromir, you misunderstand me," she quickly explained, her trembling hand reaching out to sweep the hair out of his eyes. "I-I…I-I have n-no experience in this at all," she stuttered, "and I do not know exactly how to handle this. It is not as if I have a line of bachelors waiting to court me, and never have I ever expected one to even glance my way. I-I am r-rather baffled that you would spend your time with me, out of all the maidens that you could chose from. Those who are far more beautiful-"

"But you are beautiful as well, Elenmírë," he injected, wonder crossing his face, and her jaw dropped slightly. "Do you not see it?"

"What?" she asked blankly, disbelieving the fact that he had used the word 'beautiful' to describe her. "Me? With my bushy hair, and this horrible nose, and this unpleasant bulge in my belly-" He roared with laughter and shook his head, and even she had to crack a smile at how ridiculous she sounded. Had she always sounded that way?

"You must be the only one to see such things," he managed to say after his laughter died down. "You are beautiful to me, my Lady, both inside and out, and nothing you say can change my mind on that matter."

"Well," she said stiffly, "you must be the only one to think such things. Those of the Guard of the Rivendell see naught but a bulky, bossy second Captain." Suddenly a greedy possessiveness claimed the look in his eyes, and he grinned.

"Good," he laughed, "because I do no plan on sharing you." Her eyes grew wide at the intense desire that now lit his face the same way it had when they had argued at the Council, and she could not help but marvel at the thought that she was what he wanted. 'So is this what it is like?' she idly wondered, tears suddenly forming behind her eyes from joy, but she did not cry. She became frightfully aware of the pounding of her heart drowning her ears as Boromir pulled her near, closing the distance between them, and she knew without a doubt that he was going to kiss her.

"I hope there are no squirrels here that plan on attacking you with acorns," she whispered dryly as her grey eyes filled with mirth, and he chuckled as he brought his face down to hers, his lips lightly brushing hers, yet not claiming them just yet.

"If there are, I shall not let them bother me this time around," he answered mischievously, and she closed her eyes and his lips captured hers completely, keeping their first kiss chaste, but sweet. He hesitated a moment and she opened her eyes to nod at him. He brought his lips down to hers again, this time deepening their kiss, gently sucking on her lower lip as his tongue traced the lining of it, prodding her mouth for entrance. She complied and was greeted by his tongue gently caressing hers before dueling feverishly, and the friction sent shivers up her spine and through her entire body. She became acutely aware of the tightening of his arms around her waist, and her own hands were entangled in his hair, delighting in the silky smoothness and thickness of it. Her fingers tingled as she brushed them through his strands, and she thought of the injustice of waiting for more than a millennia to experience such a feeling. Boromir reluctantly ended their fiery kiss, and she uttered a small cry of protest, earning one of his wonderful chuckles.

"I see the Lady wants more," he teased, and she playfully swatted his arm. "I would relent, but I need a chance to catch my breath!"

"Oh, you humans are so frail!" she shot out in frustration, but he took no heed of it as he enveloped her in his arms, his fingers joining hers as he hugged her around her waist, and she sighed with contentment, leaning back into him. His lips pressed against her hair, and he inhaled the faint scent of wildflowers emitting from her tresses. How she ever managed to call her sleek hair 'bushy' was beyond him, and the supposed 'bulge' of her belly was hardly there, now that he could try to feel for it with his arms around her. The She-Elf's degradation of herself surprised him for he saw none of the flaws she spoke of, and he made a mental note to confront Mary Sue for ever causing Elenmírë to think she was less than what she really was. He felt so protective of her, and he knew he did not want another person to take her away from him.

Though, that posed a problem for a certain Elf who was hidden once again in the thick branches and leaves of the overgrown sycamore, this time without acorns at hand for him to throw. The couple had appeared before him unexpectedly as he had been laying lazily in the tree, watching the clouds drift in beautiful harmony in the sky, and he had intently heard every single word of their conversation. Legolas wanted to throttle the Man of Gondor, but he could not deny the happiness that played upon the Lady's features. 'What if the Prophecy was meant for Boromir and Elenmírë?' he thought, and suddenly, it took on a new light. What if he was the one meant to have the broken heart? "Ai!" he cried out softly at the revelation. The tree whispered words of comfort to the Elf, none of which calmed his nerves, and not knowing what he was about to do, he leaped out of his hiding spot, startling the two on the bridge.

TBC.