Chapter Seven - The Wager
Legolas walked towards the guest quarters of his father's home with a broad grin on his face. He had just spent the last two hours with Lady Valmari and now he was walking her back to her apartments. He couldn't remember having a more splendid time with anyone. She was simply the most enchanting creature he had ever come across. They had spoken the whole time, well he had spoken and she had listened. He got the impression that she didn't really like the sound of her own voice. A hint of her modesty. When she did speak though, he learned much about her. Unlike him, she did not enjoys art and poetry, she preferred nature in its real state, not as some abstract thing seen through the eyes of somebody else, or at least that is the impression she gave to Legolas. She also said she despised swordplay despite being well schooled in the art of combat. In fact it seemed that she was everything Legolas was not. She was reserved, graceful and discreet and Legolas found her interesting.
As Legolas saw the doors to her apartment at the end of the corridor, he decided to breach the silence they had been walking in.
"I have had a most pleasant evening milady. I am glad we found each other."
"I feel the same Your Highness. I had hoped to see you again after the feast but I feared business would keep you engaged, and then I would have to return home without having had the chance to converse with you again which would have grieved me greatly."
"It would seem the fates did not want that. When do you plan to return to the Western Forest?"
"We are preparing to leave a week from now. My father does not wish to leave our home empty for much longer, orcs still roam the area."
"Of course. You will be here for the New Years ball though won't you?"
"We have received invitations but I fear that I shall be too busy preparing our return to attend."
"But that cannot be. You must be there. Who will I dance with if you are not."
"Please sire, do not make me dance, I have little talent and even less patience with the activity."
"Aha, so you will be there?" She blushed and looked to the floor.
"If His Highness wishes it to be so, then I cannot deny him his wish."
"I shall look forward to it. And I shall reserve one dance for you, if you did not stand up with me, you should be denying my wishes." The pair finally reached the door. "So it is goodbye for now," Legolas said, taking her hand and softly brushing his lips against its back. "Please come to the ball, It will not be the same without you." He kept hold of her hand and stared into her chocolate brown eyes. "Please promise you will be there." His voice was no more than an earnest whisper.
Valmari had lost the power of speech. She was so nervous and intimidated by the position the Prince had her in, all she could do was nod her assent. Legolas smiled and placed his hand on her cheek.
"Thank you, I promise that you will not regret it." Suddenly his lips descended on hers and captured them in a kiss. To his disappointment, she did not respond, but he could not blame her. She was probably shocked by his bold move.
He held her for a few moments before standing back and allowing her to open the door to her chamber. "Until the next time we meet milady." She smiled at him, but said nothing she simply walked into the room and closed the door behind her.
Legolas's face broke into a wide grin. He could honestly say he was very pleased with himself. He turned on his heels and began to make his way back to his own chambers. He couldn't believe that he had found a woman who he wished to see but not to seduce. Not that he didn't want her, he just wanted to be with her as well. He was happy to simply bathe in the warm glow of her beauty.
He came to his door and pushed it open stepping into his chambers. As he expected, Ariel was in there, sitting on the couch which she seemed to have taken for her own, reading a book. As soon as she heard him entering the room she looked up expectantly.
"You look happy. I take it you had a good walk?"
"I certainly did," he said, taking the chair opposite her. "How was your stroll with Herdrin?" He said, unable to keep the jealousy from his voice. He was not going to deny that he did not like her taking an interest in other men. She was HIS aide, NOT Herdrin's lover.
"Yes, it was very pleasant, I always enjoy his company."
"What do you mean you always enjoy his company? You have only just met him." Ariel silently cursed herself. "You haven't only just met him have you?"
"No Sire. "
"How do you know him?" What he really wanted to ask was how well did she know him, but that would be an impertinent question.
"Lord Herdrin was sent here to the City several times over the winter while you were gone. He was a messenger for his father and brought news of activity in the West. We became friends during his visits. He is very good company"
"So why did you pretend that you were strangers?"
"Our introduction was simply an act so that our plotting would not be made known to Yourself and Lady Valmari."
"Plotting?"
"Herdrin told me soon after your first meeting with the Lady Valmari that you were taken with his sister and that she liked you. You had made no attempt to see her again and I wished to meet her. We therefore planned to get the two of you in the same place at the same time."
"And you succeeded." He looked away from Ariel and began to rub his chin, as if he was in thought.
"Is something bothering you milord. I am truly sorry if you disapprove of my scheme."
"No it is not that. You said Herdrin was good company, that you were friends. I was just wondering how good a friend is he?" Ariel knew exactly what the Prince was angling at. She knew that she could make him squirm for a while, but decided not to.
"Friends, Sire, we are simply friends. I have acted as his confidante and he is a good listener. I have no desire for him to be anything more. You needn't worry sire, you are not about to lose your aide to another elf. I have promised him a dance at the ball, but I cannot see our relationship extending beyond that."
Legolas couldn't help but smile. He was of a jealous nature and could not deny that. Once he had decided that something belonged to him, he was not going to share it and that included people. This was the way he felt about Ariel. She was his aide and, to some extent, his responsibility. He had not ignored her youth. She could not have gained much experience of the world in her nineteen years, especially if she was protected in Imladris for many of them. He had no doubt that her untimely wisdom and sophistication was genuine but she was still very young."
"I hope you did not promise him the first dance. I had hoped to have that pleasure myself."
"You are not reserving that for Lady Valmari?"
"No. Unfortunately she finds no enjoyment in dancing."
"Hmm."
"What are you hmming about?" Legolas said, sitting back in his chair, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Nothing. It is just you saying that doesn't surprise me. It brings me to a conclusion that I am afraid of."
"And what is that?"
"That Lady Valmari will not be your bride."
"What makes you think that?"
"Herdrin has always told me that his sister was a quiet, unassuming girl, who had little sense of adventure. I could not help but notice that your conversation with her today was a rather one sided endeavour. I think she speaks little because she simply cannot think of anything to say."
"So you do not like her." Legolas was disappointed. He had hoped for Ariel's approval.
"No I do like her. I just think she is dull. She has no spirit and I know that you cannot be happy with a lady who does not feel passion."
"Well I find her to be very charming company. In fact my meeting her has made me think that maybe marriage isn't such a bad idea."
"That is good. I just do not think that marriage to her will be a good idea. I do not think that you have yet seen past her beauty, which I cannot deny is great. In my time in this wood I have only met the Lady Thrimalia who rivals her. I feel though that she lacks a certain spark which I feel your bride must be born with. You will not be happy with a lady whose sense of adventure and thirst for danger does not match your own."
"I will admit that she is refined but that does not make her dull."
"No it does not. It is her inability to think and speak for herself which makes her dull. You believe that she can be more whereas I do not. If you were to make her your bride, you would discover that she is what she seems, and you will try to change her into what you want her to be, into a woman you could love. That is no basis for a marriage. Love of your partner and the person they truly are must come first. The more I think about it the more I am convinced that you cannot love the woman Lady Valmari truly is."
Legolas resented what Ariel was saying. "What makes you so sure? How do you know that she isn't my soul mate?"
"She may very well be. But personally I think that you need someone with more fight in her. I would dearly love to be proved wrong, but I am sure I will not be."
"You cannot know my heart."
"No I cannot, but I am an excellent judge of character and I am confident that in this case I have judged correctly. In fact I am so confident, I propose a wager."
"A wager!" Legolas was intrigued. "What sort of wager?"
"You say that Lady Valmari might be your soul mate and I disagree. Therefore I propose this. If you are proved wrong and you do not take Lady Valmari as your bride I win your longbow."
"I thought you had no patience with weaponry," Legolas said, smiling at her. He was intrigued by what she was saying.
"I do not enjoy using weapons, but like you, I have an eye for the rare and the beautiful. Your Lorien bow is one of the most magnificent weapons I have ever seen and I know how dear it is to you. We all want the things that normally we would not be able to have. Therefore if you lose, I want your bow."
"How do you know I will not marry her simply to win. I am very competitive you know."
"I have seen your capacity to love. You are hard of heart son of Thranduil, but your capacity to love the right person when she comes along, is greater than any I have ever seen. You will not claim to love a person you do not, simply to win a bet. You have more honour than that."
"I accept that. What about if you were to lose. What would be my prize?"
"You choose. I have chosen what I would take, you should do the same." At this he stood up and walked over to his books. He looked back at her with a serious look on his face. She could tell that he was pondering his price. He would want it to be good. Something he could take pleasure in having. He looked back to his books before turning and settling on her, a grin on his face. He began walking towards her. He walked around the couch, stopping behind her. He placed his hands on the back of it, one on either side of her shoulders.
"So I get to have anything I want if you are proved wrong."
"Yes, just name it." His grin became wolfish as he bent down to bring his lips close to her ear.
"OK then. I choose..." he moved his lips to her other ear and his voice became a whisper which was not unlike the voice he had used with Valmari an hour ago. "You." It would seem that his need to guard whatever innocence she had was no hinderence to his lust for her.
She was not sure she had heard him correctly and turned her head to look at him. His face was just inches from hers and he was smiling.
"What do you mean?" She sounded unsure.
"I mean I choose you. I want one night with you in my bed."
"Why?"
"You cannot think why I would want to make love to you? You are beautiful, intelligent, innocent." He ran a finger down her cheek as he said the last part. She stood up and walked away from the couch a little. She could not deny that his request shocked her. It was unexpected to say the least. She had no idea that the Prince saw her as an object of desire. That was never supposed to be the case. She looked from the floor to him several times before finally settling on his face and confidently walking up to him.
"Very well Your Highness, I accept you terms. I win, I get your bow. You win you get me for one night to do with as you will. Legolas walked around the couch so that he was again just inches from her.
"How about a kiss to seal the deal?" He asked. Ariel knew that now he was just trying to intimidate her and she was not going to rise to it.
"Perhaps not." Instead she held out her small hand for him to shake. He turned it so the palm faced upwards and he brought it to his lips.
"It is a deal then."
"Yes, it is a deal." She looked out of the small window and through the tunnel which shoed the crescent moon outside. "I ought to go. Dinner will be served soon in the servants quarters and I wouldn't like everyone to be kept waiting." She extricated her hand from Legolas's grasp and left the room, giving them both the opportunity to think about what they had just agreed to.
