Hi. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. It got off to a slow start but you all made me very happy with each review. Sorry to say that this is the last chapter. It wasn't a particularly long story but I hope you've enjoyed it.

Letting you go

Nildoliel walked back to the castle, alone. She stopped off at the shared bedroom on the way down to supper. She had to freshen up before she met Legolas but she was already late. Legolas would be waiting for her.

As she flung open the bedroom door she was surprise to find Legolas sitting on the bed.

"Oh, Hello." She greeted him surprised to find him here. "Are you not going down to supper?"

"No, I am not hungry. I think I will stay here tonight."

"Are you feeling all right?" She asked concerned.

"Erm. Oh yes I'm feeling fine." He answered after a long pause. "You go down and have something to eat. Please apologise for my absence. I will be fine."

"Ok." Nildoliel knew better than to push Legolas into answer a question he didn't want to. Had he guessed? No he couldn't have done. How could he? She was being silly. She would just go down and pretend everything was all right.

Nildoliel left for supper hoping with all her heart that Legolas hadn't guessed. It was bad enough her telling him. If he had found out himself she would feel guiltier still if that were possible.

*~*~*~*~*

Nildoliel couldn't enjoy her meal. She couldn't stop thinking about Legolas. Twice as many questions were spinning in her mind afterwards than before she had left the room.

She pushed open the door to the room quietly hoping that Legolas would be asleep. Instead he was stood on the balcony looking out over the top of Mirkwood. He never turned around to greet her but he knew that she had entered the room. It was as though she wasn't even there.

"Are you feeling any better?" Nildoliel eventually broke the silence; her voice shook despite her trying to sound confident. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Legolas turned his head slightly to look at her hand before pulling away. As he did so a single tear fell onto her fingers.

"Legolas?" Her voice could barely be heard. There was no reply. "Legolas please tell me what is the matter."

He turned to face her now. The tears from his face were no longer there and he smiled slightly at her. He ran his soft fingers through her hair and kissed her gently on the cheek. Then he turned and walked away from her.

He sat down on the bed, knowing that she would follow and sit next to him. Guessing what he wanted, she followed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" It was Legolas' turn to break the silence. His voice was shaking yet his face looked calm.

"Tell you what?" Nildoliel knew the answer before she asked the question.

"If...If you don't...love me anymore then I'd rather you left than stay because...because you feel you have to." Legolas could no longer keep his voice steady. His face showed the pain he felt in his heart.

Nildoliel had hurt him. He didn't blame her, or Vecamion, but he blamed himself. He should have noticed if Nildoliel wasn't happy. Why hadn't he noticed? He should have known that it was too good to be true. Why would a beautiful elf like Nildoliel want to be with him?

"Legolas, I don't know what you are talking about." He couldn't know. He couldn't have found out. She was going to tell him.

"Nildoliel, I saw you with Vecamion this afternoon." He placed a finger to her lips as she tried to speak. She had to listen first. "I do not hate you. How could I? I love you more than anything. But you cannot stay with me if you are not happy. I would rather you left me than stay and be unhappy."

"Legolas, I am not unhappy. I love you. I always have." Nildoliel wanted Legolas to understand.

"Please?" Legolas interrupted her. "If you loved me then you wouldn't feel this way about anyone else. The way I don't feel this way about anyone else."

"But I do..."

"Listen Nildoliel. I do not blame you or hate you and I do not blame or hate Vecamion. But you cannot stay. I will not allow you to stay and be unhappy, no matter how sorry for me you feel." Legolas' hands were shaking. "I am letting you go Nildoliel. You can't choose who you fall in love with. I love you and would rather have you happy and without me than trapped here. Please, go."

She didn't know what to say. If he just got angry with her, if he shouted at her, then maybe she would feel better. But Legolas had never shouted or been angry with anybody. She had never even seen him upset before. He hadn't deserved this.

"Legolas I am so sorry." Nildoliel made one last attempt to apologise before she left.

"I know you are." Legolas' voice wasn't as shaky but his face still showed the pain. "And I will always love you Nildoliel, no matter where you are, but I understand that you cannot stay here. As I said, you can't choose who you fall in love with"

Slowly she stood up and made her way towards the bedroom door. "I will always love you too Legolas." With that she left. She left behind her old life and entered a new.

Never would she understand what Vecamion had that Legolas didn't, but maybe everything happened for a reason. Legolas' hurt would heal with time. He was strong.

*~*~*~*~*

Legolas sat on the bed not daring to move. He had just lost the one he loved. It had been his decision to let her go but had been something he had to do. He couldn't have stayed; he wouldn't have allowed it. If she loved another she should be with him. Vecamion was that 'other' and Legolas knew that their friendship would eventually die due to this day. He had lost a friend and a lover in one day and the pain in his heart was almost unbearable. When Nildoliel left half of him had left too. He would never feel that way about anyone ever again, but after he had seen Nildoliel with Vecamion, and seen how happy she was with him, he would never have been able to touch her again without feeling like he was keeping her locked in a cage.

Locked in a cage, which she had finally been freed from.

A cage that he would remain in.

The End

Please let me know what you thought of this. I don't usually write Legolas romance. My first fic was a Legomance and this one carried on from that but I have stopped now and all my other fics are better (I think). Please review.

Thanks again.

LegyLuva