*** Oh my God, I'm so sorry I haven't updated for AGES!!!! And now I'm ashamed that I have bad news for you: I still didn't manage to finish the wedding chapter, I (again!) split it up. But if I didn't do it like this, there wouldn't be an update before christmas in three years or something. I can't believe how busy I am lately. Plus I was really sick for some time. And on vacations. Right now I'm doing my practical time at a publishing company, so I'm afraid I won't be much faster with updating in future. Sorry! I hope you still will continue to read my sporadic updates.

Anyway! I just wanted to let you know that I had a great time in London, and an even greater time watching Macbeth which was an excellent production with brilliant actors (not only Sean Bean). And believe it or not, we (Chrisi and I, who by the way got to know each other only because she read and reviewed "Assassins", and now we travelled to London together in order to watch a play with Sean Bean, go figure that!) actually met Sean some hours after the show in a pub. If you want to see the autograph he gave me and an embarassing photograph of Sean and me, I put scans on the internet. The links are in my fanfiction.net profile, for anybody who's interested. (Oh, and I'm the little, pale girl on the right who grins like a Cheshire cat…*lol*). In case anybody wonders: Yes, Sean is as nice and polite and funny and easy-going as I hoped he would be. And he smells good too. *g* 

Okay, that was that. And now you all know what I look like. I hope nobody is that disappointed. *L*

On with the story. Here's a little reminder of what happened before (just in case you've forgotten because it's so long ago): Boromir promised Lyn to not talk to her father about the fact that he had hit her. Legolas promised to Lyn to take care of Atalar and try cheering him up a little. He then suggested Atalar should go dancing with a woman who doesn't remind him of Inunyen. Boromir left the wedding party together with Aragorn because he was bleeding on his back. That's where we left off. I hope you enjoy the continuation.

Yours,

Janina AKA SpaceCowgirl ***

After sitting together with Atalar for quite a while (and noticing with concern that the young lord emptied his drinks with alarming speed), Legolas slowly started to feel a little bored. Atalar wasn't exactly talkative and by now Legolas had run out of ideas to lighten up the young man's mood. Like every other elf Legolas was extremely fond of huge feasts and he wanted to dance with the ladies who were kind enough to accept his invitation and listen to other guests' stories of venturesome journeys and hum along to the happy melodies of the songs that filled the great halls… But he couldn't desert Atalar just like this, leaving him alone to his sorrow. Suppressing a downhearted sigh, Legolas shifted his gaze towards the dance floor and wistfully watched the moving couples.

"I think I found her!" Atalar suddenly blurted out and clutched Legolas' shoulder so abruptly that the elf almost gasped with a start. 

"Who?" Legolas asked wonderingly, quickly regaining his composure, and turned his head to look at Atalar.

"Somebody I might ask for a dance," Atalar explained. 

"Oh! Where?" Legolas wanted to know and tried his best to not sound too curious.

"She sits over there."

A smile spread on Legolas' face when he followed Atalar's gaze and saw the woman the young man was talking about.

"Is something wrong?" Atalar asked and swallowed with effort. He started to feel more than unsure when he noticed the elf's amused facial expression.

"No, nothing. Go and ask her already. Enjoy yourself a little."

"I don't know… What if she says no? In front of everybody? I'm only going to make a fool of myself..."

"She won't. Believe me, she won't say no."

"How can you tell?"

"I just know," Legolas stated, his smile growing wider. "And now hurry or I'll go and ask her for you, in front of everybody else. I bet that would be far more embarassing than asking her yourself."

Atalar only nodded, took one last sip from his drink and got up from his chair with very mixed feelings. When he had covered more than half of the distance he suddenly wished that he had remained seated next to Legolas but he was too proud to turn round and head back. Only a few more steps and he would stand right next to her…

Atalar quickly cleared his throat and slightly bowed his head before he raised his voice to speak to the dark-haired maiden who was sitting a bit away from the other guests, all on her own. She was one of the most beautiful women Atalar had ever seen and he was glad that he had bolstered himself a little by drinking some wine before walking over to her. He doubted he would have found the courage to talk to her if he hadn't. 

"Good evening to you, Lady," he greeted her and waited for a reply, but she didn't say a word and just mimicked his respectful nod, a faint smile upon her full, rosy lips.

"Uh... I was wondering what a fair lady like you is doing here in the corner of the halls, all on her own," he explained when he realized that she wouldn't speak. He felt a big lump forming in his throat when she stroked a strand of her long, straight hair back and revealed a delicate, pointed ear. So far Legolas had been the only elf he had ever met. He had neither spoken with nor seen a female one before.

"The Lady is waiting for her beloved fiancé," the ethereal creature answered, her voice light and melodic to Atalar's ears. It was the most beautiful sound he ever had come across. In fact it was so beautiful that he almost didn't catch the meaning of her words, totally mesmerized by the pretty tone. After a few seconds of staring at her face, he became aware of what she had said and straightened his posture abruptly, sucking in a sudden breath of air.

"Oh!" he blurted and blushed slightly. "Please forgive my intrusion, then. I don't want to bother you any longer. Have a pleasurable evening, and my regards to your fiancé. He is a very lucky man."

The elven maiden laughed softly about his compliment, causing Atalar to blush even more because he didn't understand what she found so funny about it.

"Well," she began slowly, "I have been waiting for quite a long time already and actually I am starting to feel bored. You do not bother me, Lord Atalar, please stay if you like."

"You know my name?" he asked, surprised.

"Of course, you are the brother of tonight's bride. I guess everybody in this room knows who you are."

"May I ask of your name, Lady?"

"You may call me Arwen."

"A very beautiful name," Atalar said and instantly felt like the clumsiest man in the halls, if not in whole middle-earth. "Would you fancy a dance?" he quickly added before he could continue to make a fool of himself by giving her flat compliments.

"It will be my pleasure," Arwen replied to his great surprise and gracefully rose from the chair. She was very tall, almost as tall as Atalar was, and looked him straight in the eyes with a curious sparkle.

"It is an honor to me, Lady Arwen," Atalar responded, a shy smile crossing his face, and offered her his arm to lead her to the dance floor. She accepted with another warm smile and let him pull her with him.  

"How bad is it?" Aerilyn asked even before Boromir had sat down again. He smiled faintly and took the seat next to her, regarding her with a calm expression.

"How are you feeling? Do you hurt? Are you still bleeding?" she bombarded him with questions and took one of his hands in hers. He didn't wear gloves anymore and she was pleased to feel how warm his hands were. That was usually a good sign.

"I'm fine, my love," he said gently, "As I said, it is nothing. Just a small injury that opened."

"Why took it so long, then? Aragorn and you have been away for quite some time."

"Well, you surely understand that I had to change my clothes and it took some time to collect a completely new suit apropriate for the occasion."

"I see," Aerilyn said while having a closer look at his garments. He was clad in much darker colours now. They suited him better, but Lyn couldn't stop thinking that he had only chosen them because fresh bloodstains wouldn't be so striking on black and burgundy.

"So, what have you done while I was away?" Boromir asked to distract her from her grave musings. "Have you enjoyed yourself?"

"I have been dancing," she told him with a smile. "With Faramir, Atalar, Legolas, Ghorid, Éomer, -"

"Maybe you should enumerate the men in these halls you didn't dance with yet, I have the feeling that wouldn't take up nearly as much time," Boromir interrupted her and then smiled softly when Aerilyn blushed and quickly shifted her gaze to the floor in embarassment.

"I'm only jesting," he told her quickly and leaned a little closer. When Aerilyn felt his arm around her shoulders she raised her head to face him again, but had to find out that he wasn't even looking at her. His gaze that suddenly was terrifyingly hard and cold was shooting right through the room. Bewildered, Aerilyn followed her husband's glare and almost gasped when she saw that his eyes were focused on her father who was holding the icy stare with equal hostility.

"Boromir..." she pleaded, almost whispering, while her heart started pounding like mad.

"Yes?" he asked, still not looking at her. She felt his hand wrap around the nape of her neck, gently but possessively.  

"What is it?" he added when she didn't say anything and slid his hand up to cup the back of her head. Before she could reply, he bent down a little and placed a long and tender kiss onto her forehead. She knew the kiss wasn't supposed to demonstrate his love or devotion, though she wished it was like that. In this moment Boromir was merely marking his territory, claiming his property, and when Aerilyn shot a discreet look towards her father she saw that it worked. She could tell Ribensis was furious though he tried hard to not let it show. Finally, when Boromir tilted her chin up and moved his lips from her forehead to her mouth, her father turned away, a silent move that confirmed the loss of his authority over his daughter. Just when Boromir withdrew his hand from her chin to cup her cheek instead, intending to prolong the kiss, Aerilyn energetically broke from his rough lips.

"You can stop now," she said somewhat angrily, "he's not watching anymore."

Not waiting for his reply, she started to turn away from him but he rapidly got hold of her forearm and forced her to face him again.

"And, more importantly, he won't hurt you anymore," Boromir added.

"Do you expect me to be at your feet and eternally grateful now? In a way, you're not much better than him," she snapped as she unstoppably flew into a temper.

"Never would I hit you," he replied, his hand still tightly closed around her arm.

"But you've already started to enjoy the position of power you have over me. And we were married mere hours ago!"

"Aerilyn, what are you talking about?" he asked, provoked.

"You obviously see me as your property and you couldn't stand it if you had to share your authority over me."

"I see you as my wife who I will protect from further abuse. I don't see what's wrong with that."

"I asked you to let the whole matter with my father rest and you promised! That is what's wrong with it! I can't believe you are starting with it again, on our wedding day!"

"Would you please calm down and stop ranting like that?!" Boromir hissed. "At times you tend to be a little too hysterical."

"And you, at times, tend to be obsessed with the idea of controlling and outdoing all and everybody!" she replied and rose abruptly, forcing her arm from his grasp.

"Where are you going?" His question sounded more like a command to sit down again.

"I'm going to look for Atalar. I don't want to spend the whole evening fighting with you."

"So you're once again running off to him, seeking refuge in his arms like you always do when something is amiss? Maybe you should have married your brother!" Boromir growled.

"I'm not going to listen to these obnoxious comments of yours! Who do you think you are to talk like that and drag my relationship with my beloved brother into the mud?!" Aerilyn shot back.

"I am the Lord of this realm, here I talk as I please," Boromir replied imperiously. "I think you should ask yourself who you are now, my dear."

"I know who I am."

"Then why don't you behave like it?" he demanded tartly, "I expect you to meet me with befitting respect, adequate cordiality and unwavering affection. I won't settle for less."

"You won't have to. My feelings for you include everything you just mentioned. And more," Lyn stated truthfully, but she couldn't force herself to lapse into a lighter tone again so quickly and the well meant words came out sounding like an insult.

"Your fondness for Atalar is made of tighter bonds, apparently." Boromir responded, his voice as well as his face still dominated by grimness.

"Don't you realize how ridiculous your statements are? How dare you reproach me, you of all people who is more in love with his sword and warfare than with his own wife and unborn child!" Lyn raged and then stormed off, leaving Boromir in a flaming temper. He was too proud to go after her although he started to yearn for reconciliation the second she walked away. Instead of catching up with his wife and restoring peace with her, he remained seated for a couple of minutes, brooding over the words she had thrown at him. He actually comprehended her viewpoint and why she had so uncompromisingly persisted on it, but it didn't make him feel any better or help him compose. Boromir needed to let off steam, and when he shifted his sharp gaze across the great hall, his eyes caught somebody he didn't have any inhibitions to vent his anger on. Without hesitance he rose and crossed the beautifully mosaicked floor with determined, long strides until he was so close to his father-in-law that their shoulders almost touched.

"I need to talk to you," Boromir said firmly, disregarding flowery phrases of politeness and greeting. He had reneged his promise to Aerilyn anyhow, what difference did it make if he took her father to task not only with hostile glares but also with words?

"Very well," Ribensis replied with a very controlled voice and turned his head to look Boromir directly into the eyes. "Talk."

"In private," the younger man announced harshly, holding the hard stare of the other one. Ribensis opened one arm, pointing to one of the great doors of the halls in a slow, wide gesture.

"After you, Lord Boromir," he said calmly but with an icy glint in his dark eyes. Without losing one more word, Boromir headed to the corridor with Steward Ribensis at his heels. He had failed to keep this pledge, but he was going to make the best out of it. Aerilyn's father would never again do her harm once Boromir was done with him, and if this implicated another fierce dispute with her it was a relatively small price for the "settlement" between Ribensis and himself he was striving for.

"How is Boromir?" Legolas asked Aragorn after the two human men had come back to the halls. Aragorn frowned slightly and threw a questioning gaze at his elven friend but remained silent.

"His wounds are still ailing him, aren't they? I saw what happened," Legolas explained. Aragorn nodded slowly.

"It is actually worse than it seems, though he refuses to admit it. I wish there was more time for him to recover," he told the elf whose starry eyes were filled with genuine sympathy for their common friend.

"Have you seen Arwen?" Aragorn asked before Legolas could prolong their conversation about Boromir's well-being. "She wanted to wait for me over there, but her chair is empty."

"Well, she obviously got bored waiting for you for hours and decided that it is much more fun to go dancing with Atalar..." Legolas replied with a slight grin and nodded towards the dance floor where Arwen and Atalar danced together, beating all other couples in grace and beauty. Aragorn watched silently, his mouth dropping slightly open.

"They are good, nay?" Legolas asked and then chuckled when he saw the baffled expression on Aragorn's face.

"Come on, it's only a dance," the elf added amusedly. "Besides, I doubt he would have asked her for a dance if I hadn't talked him into it. I'm afraid you must direct your anger towards me."

Aragorn stared at him in disbelief for a few second but then smiled, too.

"Well," he stated, "then I'm going to talk him into handing my betrothed over to me and keeping you some company instead."

Legolas just wanted to object in jest when his eyes caught Atalar and Arwen who all of a sudden stopped dancing in such an abrupt way, that another couple almost bumped into them. Instead of continuing to lead the elven maiden across the dance floor, Atalar turned away from her and skeltered towards one of the exits, his pale face twisted in dolor.

"Your persuasion won't be necessary anymore," he informed Aragorn without losing trace of the peculiar scene that was happening only a short distance away from them. "Atalar just abandoned Lady Arwen." Legolas' voice was dominated by wonderment and thoughtfulness when he said that, his forehead showing tiny wrinkles of confusion. Since his eyes still followed Atalar who had almost reached the doors by now, he didn't see that Aragorn had started to make his way towards his elven lover.

Once the young man was out of his sight, Legolas shifted his gaze back to Arwen and found her approaching him with graceful but quick strides. When their eyes met, Legolas' stomach started to churn from the intensity in her glance. Her dark, large eyes were so full of deep sorrow and painful affliction that he almost couldn't bear to hold ger gaze. It wasn't her own pain he saw in her eyes, but agony she lived through because of her great compassion for another…

His mouth opened a little in trepidation when he saw tears glittering on the brim of her lower eyelids and a split second later this little motion of his face was mirrored in hers as her sensible lips parted as if she wanted to call out to him. But her voice never left her throat since Aragorn reached her just this moment and, apprehensive and protective as he was with his betrothed, carefully drew her into the shelter of his arms. Legolas watched a single tear floating down Arwen's delicate cheek as she closed her eyes and leaned into Aragorn's embrace, accepting the comfort he offered.

When she slowly opened her lids again in order to cast another glance at Legolas, her eyes didn't find him at the place she had seen him mere moments ago. Still resting in Aragorn's strong but gentle arms, her gaze shifted to the large doors just in time to see the blond elf leaving the halls.

~ to be continued ~