Legolas was hanging upside-down in front of her, laughing mirthfully.
Swinging down from the branch he had been watching her from, he had scared
her nearly senseless.
"You think you are quite amusing, do you?" He only laughed harder in reply. "Leaving me to think I had been left alone and then dropping down and scaring me like that. You beast!" She pushed him, hard, and he toppled out of the tree, laughing still more. By this time, he was rolling around the ground holding his sides. When he could manage, he spoke a few words between gasps for air and chuckles.
"You.you should have.seen your face."
This only made her angrier. She kicked him lightly in the side. "You vicious creature! How dare you treat a lady like that?" The frustration in her face, her furrowed brow and wild, still-trembling eyes only made him snicker more. She glared at him, but her features softened and soon she was laughing nearly as hard as he. He grabbed her arm and flung her playfully onto the ground next to him.
"That.is for.pulling me out of the tree."
Soon they were out of breath and had to stop laughing, though a few rogue giggles escaped them now and again as they lay on the floor of the forest, gazing up at the trees to see a few peeks of sunlight shining through the canopy. After a long moment, he spoke. "I am sorry, Sevein. I did not mean to frighten you." Another silence lapsed. "It was rather funny," she admitted. "After I regained my wits, that is." She smiled.
He rolled over onto his side to face her, propping himself up on an arm. "I am glad you came to Mirkwood."
She gave him a sidelong glance for a moment, before answering. "I am, too."
He leaned over her then, lifting himself up on his arms, and it seemed as if a life-age passed as he slowly leaned down to kiss her. It was soft and tenuous, a quiet moment of serene bliss and stars exploded in front of her eyes, though they were closed. The surprise of it came as an aftershock to her, and though he broke the kiss gently, it took a few moments for her to realize he had stopped to look at her. She opened her eyes, dazed and a bit heady, and sighed a quiet sigh.
Then, a thought reemerged in her head. "Oh no." she said, and suddenly it was as if she had been possessed; she backed away, out from underneath him, as if she had gotten too close to a fire without realizing it. She backed up until she was up against a tree trunk behind her.
Legolas looked down. "Oh, dear.I am sorry."
"As you should be!" she exclaimed angrily, curling her knees to her body and wrapping her arms about them. "You should be ashamed."
"I know," he said. "I am sorry to have been so forward, Sevein, I just-."
"That was downright immoral of you," she said, interrupting. "You expect me to trust you and you whisk me off through the forest, on nearly the eve of your marriage, only to-."
It was he who stopped her speech this time. "My what?"
"Your wedding. An Elf.in the chamber said that.that you were to be married in a fortnight. And I daresay, for one engaged so blissfully-."
"Sevein," he said sharply, and she fell silent. "I am not getting married." He thought for a moment, staring off into the forest. He turned back to her sharply and said, "I believe my father's advisor has taken matters into her own hands once again." He muttered something in Elvish, angrily, under his breath, and Sevein saw his ears go flush red in fury.
"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.
"That woman has done naught but abuse her position of command from the beginning. I told you my father did not want a human in his castle.she must have said that so I would." He stopped and sighed. "I am sorry you have been treated so deplorably in my lands. I have allowed it to go on far too long. My father is hateful and fueled by an ignorant, selfish advisor who allows it to-." He stopped again. "I am involving you in too many problems. Please forgive me for being so forward. I knew not what she had told you. I assure you, I am not to be wed." He stood and turned away from her, walking a distance into the wood.
She sighed and stared at her hands in her lap. She had not meant to accuse him. "Legolas?" She looked up and he looked at her over his shoulder. "I am sorry to have upset you."
He returned to her side. "You have not. Galeth has. I must return to the halls and right this, but I know your father is there. You do not have to come with me if you do not wish."
She sighed quietly. "There is no other way. I cannot stay out here alone. We shall go back." She stood and started for the horse, but he grabbed her hand and stopped her.
"Sevein." He took her gently by the shoulders and kissed her deeply this time, wrapping his strong arms around her waist, nearly lifting her off the ground to match his height. "You are very brave."
Sevein's cheeks flushed bright red, and she climbed up onto Celegsûl without saying a word. He climbed up behind her and they rode back towards the city.
"You think you are quite amusing, do you?" He only laughed harder in reply. "Leaving me to think I had been left alone and then dropping down and scaring me like that. You beast!" She pushed him, hard, and he toppled out of the tree, laughing still more. By this time, he was rolling around the ground holding his sides. When he could manage, he spoke a few words between gasps for air and chuckles.
"You.you should have.seen your face."
This only made her angrier. She kicked him lightly in the side. "You vicious creature! How dare you treat a lady like that?" The frustration in her face, her furrowed brow and wild, still-trembling eyes only made him snicker more. She glared at him, but her features softened and soon she was laughing nearly as hard as he. He grabbed her arm and flung her playfully onto the ground next to him.
"That.is for.pulling me out of the tree."
Soon they were out of breath and had to stop laughing, though a few rogue giggles escaped them now and again as they lay on the floor of the forest, gazing up at the trees to see a few peeks of sunlight shining through the canopy. After a long moment, he spoke. "I am sorry, Sevein. I did not mean to frighten you." Another silence lapsed. "It was rather funny," she admitted. "After I regained my wits, that is." She smiled.
He rolled over onto his side to face her, propping himself up on an arm. "I am glad you came to Mirkwood."
She gave him a sidelong glance for a moment, before answering. "I am, too."
He leaned over her then, lifting himself up on his arms, and it seemed as if a life-age passed as he slowly leaned down to kiss her. It was soft and tenuous, a quiet moment of serene bliss and stars exploded in front of her eyes, though they were closed. The surprise of it came as an aftershock to her, and though he broke the kiss gently, it took a few moments for her to realize he had stopped to look at her. She opened her eyes, dazed and a bit heady, and sighed a quiet sigh.
Then, a thought reemerged in her head. "Oh no." she said, and suddenly it was as if she had been possessed; she backed away, out from underneath him, as if she had gotten too close to a fire without realizing it. She backed up until she was up against a tree trunk behind her.
Legolas looked down. "Oh, dear.I am sorry."
"As you should be!" she exclaimed angrily, curling her knees to her body and wrapping her arms about them. "You should be ashamed."
"I know," he said. "I am sorry to have been so forward, Sevein, I just-."
"That was downright immoral of you," she said, interrupting. "You expect me to trust you and you whisk me off through the forest, on nearly the eve of your marriage, only to-."
It was he who stopped her speech this time. "My what?"
"Your wedding. An Elf.in the chamber said that.that you were to be married in a fortnight. And I daresay, for one engaged so blissfully-."
"Sevein," he said sharply, and she fell silent. "I am not getting married." He thought for a moment, staring off into the forest. He turned back to her sharply and said, "I believe my father's advisor has taken matters into her own hands once again." He muttered something in Elvish, angrily, under his breath, and Sevein saw his ears go flush red in fury.
"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.
"That woman has done naught but abuse her position of command from the beginning. I told you my father did not want a human in his castle.she must have said that so I would." He stopped and sighed. "I am sorry you have been treated so deplorably in my lands. I have allowed it to go on far too long. My father is hateful and fueled by an ignorant, selfish advisor who allows it to-." He stopped again. "I am involving you in too many problems. Please forgive me for being so forward. I knew not what she had told you. I assure you, I am not to be wed." He stood and turned away from her, walking a distance into the wood.
She sighed and stared at her hands in her lap. She had not meant to accuse him. "Legolas?" She looked up and he looked at her over his shoulder. "I am sorry to have upset you."
He returned to her side. "You have not. Galeth has. I must return to the halls and right this, but I know your father is there. You do not have to come with me if you do not wish."
She sighed quietly. "There is no other way. I cannot stay out here alone. We shall go back." She stood and started for the horse, but he grabbed her hand and stopped her.
"Sevein." He took her gently by the shoulders and kissed her deeply this time, wrapping his strong arms around her waist, nearly lifting her off the ground to match his height. "You are very brave."
Sevein's cheeks flushed bright red, and she climbed up onto Celegsûl without saying a word. He climbed up behind her and they rode back towards the city.