I rush down the stairs, ignoring my father shoring after me. He is telling
me that if I leave with Legolas, then I can never return and take my place
as Eden, Princess of Hardane. The little mouse called fear crawls up my
back as I realize how serious he is.
But in my heart, I know that I would sooner be a poor housemaid and scrub the floor to be with Legolas, than live in a castle, wear a crown and cry myself to sleep each evening with thoughts of a lost love.
I love him. I love him. I don't know how I stop myself screaming out the words. I reach the courtyard and there he is, standing by his horse in his battle armour. He is talking to one of the other elves who will set off and taken him as far as Rivendell. My heart beats the run of a wild stallion as my eyes drink in the sight of him. The long blonde hair, the piercing blue eyes. And the face that is forever engraved on my heart, inside my soul.
"Legolas?"
He turns and finally sees me. My hearts leaps into my throat. I rush towards him, gathering the edge of my long skirts in my hand, He takes me in his arms and suddenly everything is right with the world. Pressed up against him, I do not care if his armour is hard and cold. All I care about is that he is here with me now.
"Eden, are you all right?"
"I think you know that I am not, I answer gravely.
"I passed your father in the corridor. Does he think that last night we-"
"He always suspects the worst of me, Legolas, you know that, don't you?"
He looks down at me and I see all the love we bear for each other in his eyes. I love him so much. But if I love him, my heart tells me, that is why I must let him go. To keep him here would be to betray the love I bear for him. Sometimes I hate the way love works.
"I know. But one day, when I vouch for you to go to Valinor - that day will be the happist day of my life."
I laugh, tears already pricking my eyes. I lean my head on his shoulder and breathe in the wonderful scent of him, the scent I hope I will wake with every morning. "I am sure you've had happier days in the thousand years you have lived."
"My happiest days have been with you, my love."
Every woman longs to hear that from her lover, I suspect. But to hear it from Legolas's mouth.I will take his words and hold them close to my heart for all the long, weary days that are to come.
I take a scrap of parchment from inside my dress and press it into his hand. "Here is the address. Please write me letters. I know not of an address where I can reach you, as I know you will be travelling much of the time."
He takes in and places it breast pocket. "I will put it here, where it is closest to my heart. You will not need to wait long for the first letter. I will write to you as soon as we stop to rest."
I kiss him.
My father, I am acutely aware, is watching from the window. I know he thinks we consummated our love last night. In fact, thinking about it, I wish we had. But I want to marry my Legolas. So I must keep within Elvish tradition.
"Tis time for me to go," he tells me gravely.
Tears leak openly from my eyes. Ah, I had promised him I would not cry. He lifts his hand and wipes the tears from my face lovingly. "Sweetheart," he says in Elvish, and language of both our hearts now, "You said you would keep your eyes dry for me. What is this?"
"It's just that I cannot bear to see you leave." The horses snort and stamp impatiently, wanting to leave. I can hear the leader of the journey ordering everyone out of the courtyard. And still we cling to each other.
"Good-" I start to say, but he puts a finger to my lips.
"Don't say goodbye, for this is not goodbye. This is farewell, for a short time. When I return to you, it will be forever." And he hugs me tight, one last time, giving me a long, passionate kiss. I expect that it is already emblazoned on my heart. I will take it out for safekeeping on long, winter nights.
He takes a necklace from his neck and slips it over my head. "Let this be your memory of me, until such time as our love can be whole again," he tells me, and more tears spring forth.
Then he mounts his horse after kissing me on my mouth and both cheeks, as if the custom. And then I watch him ride away, curling my hand around the banister of the outside stone stairway, to stop myself running after him and following him all the ay to Rivendell, and beyond.
But in my heart, I know that I would sooner be a poor housemaid and scrub the floor to be with Legolas, than live in a castle, wear a crown and cry myself to sleep each evening with thoughts of a lost love.
I love him. I love him. I don't know how I stop myself screaming out the words. I reach the courtyard and there he is, standing by his horse in his battle armour. He is talking to one of the other elves who will set off and taken him as far as Rivendell. My heart beats the run of a wild stallion as my eyes drink in the sight of him. The long blonde hair, the piercing blue eyes. And the face that is forever engraved on my heart, inside my soul.
"Legolas?"
He turns and finally sees me. My hearts leaps into my throat. I rush towards him, gathering the edge of my long skirts in my hand, He takes me in his arms and suddenly everything is right with the world. Pressed up against him, I do not care if his armour is hard and cold. All I care about is that he is here with me now.
"Eden, are you all right?"
"I think you know that I am not, I answer gravely.
"I passed your father in the corridor. Does he think that last night we-"
"He always suspects the worst of me, Legolas, you know that, don't you?"
He looks down at me and I see all the love we bear for each other in his eyes. I love him so much. But if I love him, my heart tells me, that is why I must let him go. To keep him here would be to betray the love I bear for him. Sometimes I hate the way love works.
"I know. But one day, when I vouch for you to go to Valinor - that day will be the happist day of my life."
I laugh, tears already pricking my eyes. I lean my head on his shoulder and breathe in the wonderful scent of him, the scent I hope I will wake with every morning. "I am sure you've had happier days in the thousand years you have lived."
"My happiest days have been with you, my love."
Every woman longs to hear that from her lover, I suspect. But to hear it from Legolas's mouth.I will take his words and hold them close to my heart for all the long, weary days that are to come.
I take a scrap of parchment from inside my dress and press it into his hand. "Here is the address. Please write me letters. I know not of an address where I can reach you, as I know you will be travelling much of the time."
He takes in and places it breast pocket. "I will put it here, where it is closest to my heart. You will not need to wait long for the first letter. I will write to you as soon as we stop to rest."
I kiss him.
My father, I am acutely aware, is watching from the window. I know he thinks we consummated our love last night. In fact, thinking about it, I wish we had. But I want to marry my Legolas. So I must keep within Elvish tradition.
"Tis time for me to go," he tells me gravely.
Tears leak openly from my eyes. Ah, I had promised him I would not cry. He lifts his hand and wipes the tears from my face lovingly. "Sweetheart," he says in Elvish, and language of both our hearts now, "You said you would keep your eyes dry for me. What is this?"
"It's just that I cannot bear to see you leave." The horses snort and stamp impatiently, wanting to leave. I can hear the leader of the journey ordering everyone out of the courtyard. And still we cling to each other.
"Good-" I start to say, but he puts a finger to my lips.
"Don't say goodbye, for this is not goodbye. This is farewell, for a short time. When I return to you, it will be forever." And he hugs me tight, one last time, giving me a long, passionate kiss. I expect that it is already emblazoned on my heart. I will take it out for safekeeping on long, winter nights.
He takes a necklace from his neck and slips it over my head. "Let this be your memory of me, until such time as our love can be whole again," he tells me, and more tears spring forth.
Then he mounts his horse after kissing me on my mouth and both cheeks, as if the custom. And then I watch him ride away, curling my hand around the banister of the outside stone stairway, to stop myself running after him and following him all the ay to Rivendell, and beyond.