Author's Note: Hi everybody! Just like in our pen name there are two of us. This first chapter is a collaboration of ideas from the both of us, but most of it is my (Pippin's) work. Merry's stuff will be added in the next few chapters. Hope you enjoy! ^-^

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters except my original characters (Meruil and Arriekin so far). I wish Legolas were mine though ^- ^. * Indicates thoughts

Chapter One

???Meruil sat on the edge of her bed, the Princess Arwen pacing up and down in front of her. Meruil was Arwen's own personal handmaiden and they had been best friends since they were children. Now, according to the Lord Elnrod, they were to be separated, and Meruil reassigned to Legolas of the woodland realm, son of the king of Mirkwood. Meruil scowled as she thought of him.

She had only met him once before, when he had come for Arwen's 2,500th birthday. He had been barley over 2,000 and he was already a snobbish, oppressive, jerk. Arwen had introduced the two of them, hoping they would become friends, but instead the young prince had given her a condescending look and walked off. That had been nearly 900 years before.

"Well," said Arwen stopping in front of her, "I guess there is nothing we can do. I can't see a way to try and convince father to let you stay with me." Meruil looked up, her mouth wide open.

"Milady, there has to be a way! I cannot be taken from your side! I . I. You. But."

Arwen smiled gently at her stuttering friend and sat down next to her. "You will do this won't you?" she said. Meruil looked up, tears forming in her liquid golden eyes. "For me?"

She looked back down at her hands. "Yes Milady. Of course."

"Besides," Arwen said, hugging her quietly sobbing friend, rocking her back and forth, stroking her auburn hair. "It will only be for a few weeks. Just until Lord Legolas's wife is chosen and the coronation is over."

"Four weeks with an elf that I loathe is not a very short time! It's not like if you were going to move into Aragorn's room!" cried Meruil getting up. "Excuse me Milady, but I need to get my things ready to move." She swept out of the door and left Arwen sitting on the bed, smiling slightly, behind her.

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Legolas stepped down from his horse and looked around at his surroundings. It had been a long time since he had been to Rivendale, and then he had not been in the best of spirits. He had a feeling that he had left a bad impression on many of the people here. He sighed a little and walked towards the welcoming committee. One of the elves, walked towards him. His heart skipped a beat as he looked at her. Her long Auburn hair complimented her golden eyes and tan complexion perfectly. He privately hoped she was his guide and not his brother's (he was standing right behind him.) Arriekin did always seem to get the best-looking girls. She also seemed rather familiar.

She sank into a low curtsy in front of him, he dress flowing gently around her. " My Lord Legolas." She said not looking up. "My name is Meruil, and I am to be your guide and handmaiden throughout your stay here at Rivendale."

Legolas stifled a groan. He knew where she was from now. He remembered the party, and the young elf Arwen had tried to force upon him.

"I shall show you to your room now. Please flow me." She said getting up and walking away quietly. Legolas hesitated a moment and then followed her. She led him through many halls and many gardens until they reached a large wooden door in what seemed to be the back of the city. She opened the door to reveal a large and spacious room with immaculate furniture and a grand balcony that over looked one of the more private gardens of Rivendale, and a beautiful waterfall. Legolas collapsed on the bed, which was large enough to fit at least four elves, and softer than the down of a gosling. Meruil turned and stared at him sprawled on the bed and had to stifle a gasp. His golden hair seemed to glow in the sun, and his blue eyes sparkled. He was much more handsome than the last time she had seen him.

"Well My Lord. My quarters are right through this door, so if you need any thing, just ask." She started for the door, trying to fight the blush rising into her cheeks.

"Meruil?" Said Legolas pushing himself up onto his elbows. She stopped and slowly turned to face him. "Would you like to talk for a little while? I mean get to know each other. We are going to have to spend four weeks with each other after all."

"My Lord?" she asked. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Legolas smiled. "Please just call me by my name. All this 'My Lord' business gets on my nerves. And as for what I mean." he said getting up and crossing the room, "I mean that you come over here," he took her hands and guided her to the edge of the bed and sat down pulling her with him, "And sit and talk with me."

"About what My Lo. I mean Legolas." She said turning bright red.

He smiled at her. "What ever you want."

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The weeks had flown by. Each day Legolas would make sure to be with Meruil for a good portion of the day and if he was not with her he was talking to his best friend, Aragorn, about her.

They went for walks and she showed him all around Rivendale, and they spent a great deal talking together, until they both felt as if they had known each other for many years and not just a few weeks. And each day he found he was falling more deeply in love with her.

He was heart broken over this however, because it was against the laws of the elves for a prince (or soon to be king) to marry a person who was not of royal blood as well. It was especially forbidden to be in any sort of relationship with a handmaiden. And yet he knew he was in love with her.

Legolas sat in a deep stupor, trying to sort out his feelings and his thoughts. *Even though I love her, she doesn't seem to return the feeling, or at least she doesn't act like it.but what if she does?. * His train of thought was broken however, when his father came sweeping in.

"Hello my son!" he said brightly, sweeping towards Legolas. "How are we feeling today? The eve of you ceremony in the great Hall of the Vallar?"

"Nervous"

"And where is that beautiful handmaiden of yours?" He said smiling down at him.

"In her room reading. She loves to read."

"Well. I shall leave you for now. I will be back again in a while with Lord Elnrod to ready you for the ceremony. Good-bye!" And he swept back out again closing the large door behind him.

Legolas sat still for a few moments, then got up and walked into Meruil's room, wanting to talk to her more now than ever. She was laying serenely on her daybed, a large green book covering her face, so he could not see it. He walked to the side of the bed and hesitated, not sure if he should sit or not. But love for the woman in front of him over took all his thought processes and he found himself sitting on the edge of the daybed, at her feet.

"Meruil?" He whispered not looking at her. She lowered her book just enough to reveal her cool eyes. He glanced over at her and found that he could not speak, just mutter broken fragments of sentences. "I.just. you see. would you," he whispered leaning closer to her with each word. He found that the closer he got the lower down her book went. When he was about an inch from her face the book was all the way down and no longer anywhere near her face. He was suddenly at a loss for words, and she appeared to be very breathless. The next thing he knew he was kissing her with every last ounce of pent up emotion in his body and he also found, to his everlasting joy, that she was returning it to him. He ran one of his hands through her hair as he slid the other down her back, until he had the small of her back in his hand. He pressed her body closer to his and she moaned with longing and anticipation. He kissed he more feverishly and pulled her up with him so that they were sitting practically on top of each other.

Meruil moved her hands from the back of his neck to the front of his tunic, where she began to untie the strings holding it together.

He stopped kissing her, pulling back. Meruil stopped untying his shirt and looked at him with glowing eyes. She was afraid that he might reject her now, even after she had let him have the first true kiss she had ever given anyone. She looked down and away from him, her hands still on his chest.

Legolas smiled at her scared form gently and said the three words he had saved for years to her. "I love you." At this Meruil looked back up at him her eyes sparkling with tears that had not fallen. He took her hands in his. "I love you with all my heart."

She looked at him for a few more moments then whispered, "I love you too."

He smiled again and rose; not letting go of her hands and lead her backwards into his room. He stopped next to the bed and, putting his arms around her, kissed as he began untying the back of her dress. She waited for just a moment and then began untying his tunic again. They only had each other halfway undressed when they fell backwards onto the bed. They lay together, still struggling out of their clothes and kissing more passionately with each passing moment when the knock on the door came.

Legolas and Meruil sprang apart as if they had just been struck by lightning. The knock came again. Meruil ran to her door and franticly tried to open it, only to find that the door had locked. Legolas grabbed her from behind and turned her around, shoving her out onto the balcony, clutching the front of her clothing to keep it from falling. Just as her dress whipped out of sight Elnrod opened the door and walked in.

All Elnrod needed was that one single look at Legolas, whose hair was mussed and tunic was still open, to know exactly what had happened. He had expected a romance might be developing between the elf and the maid, but nothing like this.

"Hello Lord Elnrod."

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Aragorn was out walking in the garden below Legolas's room when Meruil came flying out. She ran to the far left of the balcony, well out of sight from the room, but not Aragorn. He looked at her and sniggered. The appearance of the girl made it all to obvious what had happened. Her auburn hair was messy and her dress was sliding off her shoulders, and she was gasping for breath. Legolas had told him of her, how she was so beautiful and smart and funny and how he would only "save himself for her" and no one else.

Suddenly a loud roar issued from his best friend's room, a yell that was all too familiar, Elnrod was in the room with Legolas; A few seconds later he came outside, in a towering rage. He looked to the right, towards Aragorn first.

He decided he had to do something. "Ada!" he called. "Ada! Down here!" he smiled and waved at his faster father, who in turn looked down at him.

"What do you want Aragorn?" He said looking down on him. Aragorn hesitated for a moment. His and Meruil's eyes met in that moment and she nodded. Aragorn kept talking to Elnrod for a few minutes until she was safely inside and he was sure Legolas would have her well hidden. He waved again and walked away; glad he had saved his friend from at least a little bit of trouble. *After all, tonight is the night of his ceremony.*