Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Not even the quotes.
*****
"All I want from you is a promise that you'll always be there" – The Spice
Girls
*****
That night, she sat soaking in a hot tub of water as she ruminated over what Elrond had revealed to her during their heated exchange. He said he knew how the ring could be destroyed. She snorted. He hadn't been able to bring himself to destroy it the last time, why would he be willing to do it now? She wondered. Especially after he revealed that by destroying the One it could possibly render the original three Elvin rings null and void. She didn't much like that sound of that. It opened up a whole new den of goblins that she didn't even want to consider.
She dried off from her bath and pulled a feathery soft tunic over her head. It was completely too long and hung to the floor. She giggled happily. The fabric felt wonderfully warm against her skin. The bed was calling to her with its mountains of pillows and blankets beckoning her weary body. She launched herself at the bed and burrowed deep into the pillows, sighing contentedly as she curled up into a ball.
There was a knock on the door. She groaned. "Enter," she shouted through the pillows.
Legolas entered the room with a lantern and looked around for her. He realized that she must be in bed and pulled back several blankets and dislodged a pillow before he managed to find her.
"What are you doing in there?" he laughed and placed the lantern on the side table.
"I'm hiding," she mumbled.
"From what?" He wondered.
"Sauron."
He laughed again and dug her out of her burrow. "I need to talk to you," he said.
She pushed several pillows out of the way and bade him to sit down next to her.
"Annowe," he began and took her small hand in his. "I want you to stay here for a while."
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she studied him. He shifted uncomfortably under her unwavering gaze.
"You are going with The Ring, aren't you?" she finally asked him.
He squeezed her hand. "After what you told me, how could I not?" he asked. "We both want it to end."
She shook her head sadly. "I don't want to lose you, too," she lamented.
"I'm not going to die!" he cried in frustration as he dropped her hand.
"Legolas, young one, there are worse things than death! Especially for an Elvin Prince who falls into Sauron's hands!" She scolded him. "Now think, for once. Do you believe that the Dark Lord would actually do you the mercy of killing you when he could use you to breed more Orcs?" She twisted one of his braids around her finger in agitation.
He lowered his head, guiltily. No, he had not thought of that.
She put her hand under his chin and tilted his head back up to her and spoke more softly to him. "I cannot tell you not to go nor can I ask you not to go. You have made your choice. However, I will demand that you fill me in on every detail this instant," she paused as his eyes softened. "And – AND – I will extract a promise from you, in blood if necessary, that you will be absolutely more careful than careful!"
"That won't be necessary. My father has already extracted the same promise," he admitted sheepishly.
"Well, I'm glad to see that at least he retains some measure of prudence," she grunted. "What am I going to do with you?" She asked in exasperation.
He smiled mischievously and stealthily slid a hand up her leg.
******
*****
"All I want from you is a promise that you'll always be there" – The Spice
Girls
*****
That night, she sat soaking in a hot tub of water as she ruminated over what Elrond had revealed to her during their heated exchange. He said he knew how the ring could be destroyed. She snorted. He hadn't been able to bring himself to destroy it the last time, why would he be willing to do it now? She wondered. Especially after he revealed that by destroying the One it could possibly render the original three Elvin rings null and void. She didn't much like that sound of that. It opened up a whole new den of goblins that she didn't even want to consider.
She dried off from her bath and pulled a feathery soft tunic over her head. It was completely too long and hung to the floor. She giggled happily. The fabric felt wonderfully warm against her skin. The bed was calling to her with its mountains of pillows and blankets beckoning her weary body. She launched herself at the bed and burrowed deep into the pillows, sighing contentedly as she curled up into a ball.
There was a knock on the door. She groaned. "Enter," she shouted through the pillows.
Legolas entered the room with a lantern and looked around for her. He realized that she must be in bed and pulled back several blankets and dislodged a pillow before he managed to find her.
"What are you doing in there?" he laughed and placed the lantern on the side table.
"I'm hiding," she mumbled.
"From what?" He wondered.
"Sauron."
He laughed again and dug her out of her burrow. "I need to talk to you," he said.
She pushed several pillows out of the way and bade him to sit down next to her.
"Annowe," he began and took her small hand in his. "I want you to stay here for a while."
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she studied him. He shifted uncomfortably under her unwavering gaze.
"You are going with The Ring, aren't you?" she finally asked him.
He squeezed her hand. "After what you told me, how could I not?" he asked. "We both want it to end."
She shook her head sadly. "I don't want to lose you, too," she lamented.
"I'm not going to die!" he cried in frustration as he dropped her hand.
"Legolas, young one, there are worse things than death! Especially for an Elvin Prince who falls into Sauron's hands!" She scolded him. "Now think, for once. Do you believe that the Dark Lord would actually do you the mercy of killing you when he could use you to breed more Orcs?" She twisted one of his braids around her finger in agitation.
He lowered his head, guiltily. No, he had not thought of that.
She put her hand under his chin and tilted his head back up to her and spoke more softly to him. "I cannot tell you not to go nor can I ask you not to go. You have made your choice. However, I will demand that you fill me in on every detail this instant," she paused as his eyes softened. "And – AND – I will extract a promise from you, in blood if necessary, that you will be absolutely more careful than careful!"
"That won't be necessary. My father has already extracted the same promise," he admitted sheepishly.
"Well, I'm glad to see that at least he retains some measure of prudence," she grunted. "What am I going to do with you?" She asked in exasperation.
He smiled mischievously and stealthily slid a hand up her leg.
******
