A/N: In this chapter, the present is denoted by~~~~~~. Flashbacks are as usual.

Laurelin lay awake in her bed, unable to sleep or rest ever since the day Legolas had left. His message had come three days ago, and Laurelin was less anxious than she had been because of that.

She had been so afraid that something would happen to him and Laurelin knew that she could not survive without him. It was terrible enough to be separated from him like this, but to see him die? Laurelin shuddered and banished the thought from her mind. She turned her mind from Legolas. Thinking of him only increased her yearning for him, she wanted to feel his comforting presence next to her, to listen to his teasing remarks, to feel the security of his arms around her and to feel the touch of his lips against hers.

And yet, the moment she thought of returning to Mirkwood, she felt afraid. Afraid of what she might have to face, for Elan had lived there. Every hall seemed to echo with his cries and his laughs, every step she took, she felt the weight of her hurt unbearably increase.

Whatever anyone said, Laurelin still held herself responsible for his death. If she had only thought to take someone along, perhaps he would have lived. If only she had traded privacy for safety, Laurelin thought bitterly, her baby would have survived.

But Laurelin still had one hope, though she was so doubtful of it being fulfilled, that she dared not admit it, even to herself. It was one of the things that had kept her alive, along with Legolas and her family, during those bitter days of hating herself. Laurelin quickly put it out of her thoughts, for she was too afraid of disappointment.

She glanced at the empty space beside her and sighed. Laurelin knew she could not sleep here, alone. She rose and left the room, walking to her sister's chamber. Laurelin found Arwen suffering from the same affliction of sleeplessness. Indeed, Arwen seemed troubled. Laurelin forgot her own worries and embraced her older sister.

" What troubles you?", she asked her softly. Arwen looked up at her sister and Laurelin understood what she was feeling from the look in her eyes.

"Who is it?"

"Estel", Arwen whispered.

Laurelin felt like something heavy had struck her at full force. She sat down quickly on her sister's bed, shock seeping through her body. Estel...Aragorn, who was now away on one of his long journeys in the Wild? He had been as a brother to her, along with Elladan and Elrohir. A human brother.

"Arwen, do you realize what this means?", Laurelin asked, the full weight of the realization hitting her. She nodded slowly.

"And I am perfectly willing to bear the consequences of my choice", Arwen said. The love she bore for the mortal man was reflected in her eyes.

"It seems I am destined to have everything I hold dear torn from me", Laurelin said bitterly.

~~~~~~~~

Legolas took his time opening the letter, knowing her fingers would have touched it. He shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. Faint traces of her scent were still on the paper. He shut his eyes and lost himself in it for a few moments. This was the closest he had got to her in two weeks. Legolas and Laurelin had never been parted ever since their betrothal and it was torture to be apart like this.

Finally, Legolas opened his eyes and scanned the paper. It was a short note.

"Min cund,
Thank you for the message. I was terribly worried about you and it eased my anxiety considerably. I miss you, Legolas, no words I write here can ever say how much. I do not know how I will be apart from you when I sail. And sail I will, in two months from now. Please, try to come here as soon as you can. I have much to say, things that I can say only to you, melamin.

I love you,

Laurelin"

Legolas folded the paper and breathed deeply. He had only two months with his wife before she sailed to Valinor. And he did not know when he would see her again after that. Legolas held his head in his hands. The perfect life they had had was well and truly shattered now.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Legolas", Laurelin whispered, hugging him the moment he had dismounted. She drank in his woodland scent, feeling the warmth of the arms she had longed for these past days.

"Laurel, I have missed you", he whispered back, lifting her into his arms. Neither of them heeded the Elves around them. And none grudged them the precious moments they spent together.

The following days they spent in memories of their happy days together before the tragedy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"This silly needle!", Laurelin cried as she lifted up the index finger of her right hand. A tiny speck of blood was on it, testament to the prick of the needle.

"Such a small thing", Legolas remarked disdainfully, "It is nothing".

"But it does hurt!", Laurelin protested, shaking her finger violently in the air, trying to get rid of the pain. Legolas laughed and knelt beside her chair, taking her finger in his hands.

"Does this make it feel better?", he inquired, kissing it delicately.

"I wish it did", Laurelin replied sarcastically.

"Laurel, I wonder, if you are unable to bear the pain of a pinprick, how will you ever bear the pain of childbirth?".

"I do not know", she replied worriedly, looking seriously at him.

"I was jesting, melamin", Legolas said with a smile.

"But I was not!", Laurelin was looking quite flustered now.

"Calm down", Legolas cried, "I know you will be strong enough to bear it".

"You know it", she replied darkly, "But the problem is that I am unsure of it".

~~~~~~~~~

"I cannot believe I am saying farewell to Imladris", Laurelin said softly, as she and Legolas walked hand in hand around the gardens and the woods of the hidden valley. It was now late spring and the trees were bathed in a fresh green light, and flowers were springing up everywhere.

"Legolas, I cannot!", she suddenly cried, "I cannot sail! I cannot leave this-at least not so soon- and I cannot leave you!".

She turned to him, her eyes filled with doubt and fear. Legolas put his arms around her, comforting her.

"It does seem hard", he said softly, "But Laurelin, eventually, you and I must sail, and we must leave Middle-Earth".

"I know, Legolas, that is why I think I should remain here, to enjoy Imladris while I can-and my sister", her voice ended on a bitter note.

"Laurelin", Legolas gently pulled her away and lifted her face to meet his, "You cannot change her choice".

"But I could try, could I not?", she asked him, "I could try to persuade her..". She broke off, knowing that, whatever she said, Arwen would not change her decision. She loved Aragorn intensely, Laurelin could see it.

"You know you cannot".

Laurelin nodded, and looked up to her husband's face.

"But how could I remain there, without you? Without a single message, a single word? I would yearn for you every moment of my existence. And I would be afraid for you—I would be anxious and worried and—and", Laurelin stopped abruptly, unable to find words for what she was feeling.

"You would remain", Legolas said simply, "If you trusted in my promise".

"Legolas", Laurelin began but he placed a finger on her lips.

"Do you believe that I will not fail you?", he asked her.

"But if—if something should happen", she faltered, "Legolas—I would not live if anything happened to you", she felt a tear fall down her cheek.

"Do you trust me?", he asked again.

"Yes", she replied finally, "I do".

"Then look for me from the shores of Valinor—and I swear again that I will not fail you".

Laurelin flung her arms around him, her tears falling. Legolas hugged her back.

"Amin mela lle, min cund", she whispered, before kissing him, "Amin mela lle".

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Must you really leave tomorrow?", Laurelin asked him, trying not to show him how much this affected her. Legolas' first visit to Imladris was to end tomorrow and he was returning home to Mirkwood.

Somehow, Laurelin did not like it at all. Being apart from each other was hard for them both. And Legolas had still not said anything about the kiss they had shared the night before. Laurelin was annoyed to feel her cheeks turning red at the thought of it.

"You know I must", Legolas' voice brought her back into the present, "I have already stayed much longer than I planned to".

"Why did you not plan to stay long? Were you afraid that you would find the company boring?", Laurelin asked, smiling.

"No, I had no fear of that", Legolas replied with a laugh, "When the Lord of Imladris, his sons and his daughters were already to converse with me, what more could I ask for?".

"And was there no one special amongst them? One whose company you enjoyed most?", Laurelin pressed on.

Legolas looked thoughtful for a moment or two, then "No, I do not think so", he said lightly. Laurelin caught his arm and shook it.

"You ungrateful elf, I have been spending all my time with you, and at last you say it means nothing more to you than others'", Laurelin said in mock- indignation, "I know you are not being truthful, mellonin".

"Ah Laurelin, you know me too well", Legolas' tone suddenly took a serious turn.

"There was a certain elleth whose company I am still partial to. We speak of everything under the sun, and we find immense joy in each other's presence. We hardly spend a moment apart during the day, and we have even kissed each other....", Legolas paused here a moment to look at Laurelin.

"And who is this elleth?", she whispered, though she already knew the answer. But for one horrible moment, Laurelin was in doubt. What if he should say some other name?

"She is named after the Golden Tree of Valinor. And it is her light that I crave to see in my life, if she will give it to me", Legolas took her hand in his, "Laurelin, I love you more than any other in Arda. Will you wed with me?".

"I could give you no other answer than...yes", Laurelin suddenly found happy tears in her eyes and she circled her arms around him.

"Amin mela lle", both of them murmured at the exact same moment, before they kissed.