A/N: And so we have reached a bit of a turning point (one of many) in the story. I decided to delve into the mind of our leading lady for this one. I hope you enjoy it. As always, I look forward to your feedback. A huge inspiration for this chapter was the song "Numb" by Disturbed. I figure it is unfair to ask you to look up the lyrics for yourself so I posted them at the bottom of the chapter. To me, they are a powerful portrayal of the emotions I'm trying to get across. Happy readings and Happy New Year as well!!!

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Legolas spun on his heels as his arm moved to deliver a blow to his opponent's sword. Surprise overtook him when he saw that his opponent had morphed into a very different creature. The blond elf clad in green and brown was replaced by a dark-haired woman dressed in black. A moment passed in which he and the woman stood in their spots, transfixed like ancient statues. Upon realizing that Melenia stood before him, Legolas withdrew his sword and took several steps backward. The entire field grew quiet as the dueling soldiers turned to look at the prince and the princess.

"My lady, what are you doing here?" Legolas finally spoke. "If I am not mistaken, you should be resting." An eternity of silence followed. Melenia did not respond. She only stood with her sword drawn and pointed at Legolas. The look in her eyes could kill a grown man, but it left Legolas unmoved.

"Are you well, my lady?" he tried once more. Again, there was no response. "Princess?" came another attempt as he took a step toward her. Then, without warning or plausible reason, Melenia lunged at him with her sword while emitting a blood curdling war cry. Legolas' reflexes quickly took over, and he defended himself against the onslaught of blows that came his way.

"Why are you doing this?" he shouted between blows.

"Revenge," came her cold reply.

"I have not done anything to warrant this much anger from you!" Her sword flew around his head, barely missing his hair by an inch. "Princess Melenia, I ask that you stop this right now," he shouted once more as he warded off deadly blows to his mid-section. Melenia remained unmoved by his pleas; in fact, she only intensified her attack.

"You say that you are a man, then fight me like a man!" she growled at the image in front of her.

"I do not know what you are speaking of," Legolas replied while making his first offensive blow. A sadistic smile spread across Melenia's face as she felt the shift within his battle strategy. "I will have my revenge," she thought maliciously.

They danced the battle dance once more, meeting each other blow for blow and strike for strike. Light danced off their blades as they moved majestically through the air. Each one felt and saw things differently than the other. Legolas was overcome by confusion and worry. Every time he looked into her eyes they seemed so empty, as if she were not in her body at all. She fought as if she was fully aware of her surroundings, but her eyes were devoid of all emotions except for…pain, dire pain. His body moved out of its own volition, but he continued to delve into her eyes. The deeper he dove, the more pain and suffering he encountered.

On the other hand, Melenia was experiencing a heightened state of euphoria. The adrenaline increased in her blood with every blow intoxicating her like a heavy drink. She looked out of her body and saw his red hair gleaming in the sunlight. She saw his green eyes stalking her as she fought him. Finally, she would have her honorable retribution. He was by far the strongest and most powerful man she had her ever met. Her was her teacher, mentor, and the object of her girlish fantasies, but now he was her enemy. She desired nothing more than to take his life just as he took hers and replaced it with a vile part of him. It would be a horrible shame to rid the world of such a handsome and courageous fighter, but she had to reclaim herself. Melenia stepped closer and tried to cut him with her sword, but he was a much better fighter. Yet, she would not relent.

"Orcs!!!" The piercing cry seemed to pour out of everything at once.

Melenia blinked once and found herself nowhere near Aèrogar's practice fields. Her mother's palace was not behind her, and she could no longer hear Skip making noises in his nearby horse stall. As her eyes came into focus she came face to face with a glowing creature. He seemed to be shouting something. His perfect lips moved slowly just like everything else around her. She blinked once more.

"Melenia! Melenia!" he shouted once more this time actually taking hold of her chin to keep her eyes focused on him.

"Prince Legolas," came her soft and startled response.

"We are being attacked by orcs. They have blocked the path back to the palace, so I cannot send you back. You must go hide until my soldiers and I defeat them."

"Duck my lord!" she replied while swinging her sword across his head. Legolas turned around to find an orc and his head lying on the ground behind him. He turned again to face her.

"My lady you must--" he stopped mind-sentence. The princess was already deeply involved in decapitating another orc. "We need more fighters anyhow. She will remain in one piece," he told himself as he reentered the battle. The orcs already outnumbered them and more kept emerging from the trees. The wood elves went to work, each one more skilled than the next. They battled with grace, lightness, and courage. Arrows flew through the air with precision, knives hit their mark, and swords worked wonders. Among the trees of Mirkwood, they were in their natural environment, and they defended it with elegance that only elves can portray in battle.

Melenia fought fervently among her kin by inheritance. She took on orc after orc without wavering. At first they were nothing more than orcs, minions of destruction, but the battle soon worked its way into her blood once more. Its hallucinogenic effect started to take control of her senses yet again. She spun around to parry off an orc that was approaching her from behind but when she turned around he was there again. His green eyes penetrated her soul and mind and delivered a deadly message concerning her fate if she were to lose to him once more.

"You will not win over me again!" she growled threateningly. He only laughed in response, turned, and began to run through the trees. She only thought for a moment before pursuing him.

"You will not get away with this once more. I will take it back from you…you… you thief!" she yelled as she ran, rage filling her entire system. He only continued to laugh as he ran. A grin spread across her face as she saw him stop in front of a deep stream. "No way out now," she muttered to herself. He stood, smiling smugly, when she arrived at the clearing around the stream.

"I will kill you," she said simply.

"I do not think you will," he smiled once more as the trees began to shake. Bewilderment washed over her as she watched them come out of the trees. It was him over and over and over again. Fear began to pour into her system. She could not lose, not when he was everywhere. She feared the repercussions.

"I will kill you all," she cried with desperation. "I will rid the earth of you!!" She reluctantly pulled out her bow and arrows and began to shoot at the ones running at her, but the more of him she shot down, more emerged from the trees. She kept shooting, arrow after arrow, until she ran out. She reached for her sword but it was not there, so she took out her knives instead.

Melenia moved like a hungry beast, cutting, tearing, ripping. Insanity drove her, anger fed her, pain destroyed her. One knife flew out of her hand and then the other. She reached for her other weapons but they were gone. She must have used and dropped them somewhere along the path. Something happened then that no warrior should ever allow. Melenia allowed fear and panic to take over. She saw only one option left, so she ran at him with full force, but he stopped her dead in her tracks. Pain racked her entire body as she fell to the ground. Soon after the collision she found herself up in the air. His rough, strong hand, circled her neck and increasingly added pressure.

"You will die now little girl," the orc growled and the ones watching began to howl, but she saw no orcs. It was only him, dozens of him. He would be her end after all. A single tear feel from the Ice Princess' eyes as his grip tightened around her neck.

That is how Legolas and several other soldiers found her. They followed her trail of weapons to the clearing in which an orc was holding her by the neck.

"Take them," Legolas commanded. "The one holding her is mine."

During one moment, Melenia felt life leaving her body and during the next she was back on the ground. As her world came back into focus she saw Legolas battling the orc that was holding her. In fact, there were elves all around fighting the orcs that surrounded her. She felt the world begin to spin around her, so she began to crawl to the banks of the stream in order to get out of harm's way. It took her an eternity but she finally reached the banks and looked into the water. Her reflection did not greet her; instead, she saw his green eyes and red hair once more. He smiled sweetly as she stared at him with disbelief.

"Will I ever be rid of you?" she asked as pain and sorrow laced her voice. He simply shook his head, as the smile never left his face.

The battle ended, and the elves regrouped. It was a lucky day, for they lost no lives of their own. Legolas ordered them to check the area for any stray orcs and then head back to the palace.

"But what of the princess?" one soldier asked as looked at Melenia who sat transfixed in front of the stream.

"Take her weapons back to the palace. I will bring her back." Legolas replied strongly.

"Yes Sire," he bowed and left to retrieve her weapons that were littered all over the ground.

Legolas surveyed Melenia from far away. She had proven herself on the battlefield but she looked terrible, and she almost lost her life to do so. Orc blood was plastered all over her clothing and skin. She was covered in bruises and cuts and her spirit was completely depleted. He wrestled with the option of leaving her alone for a while longer but he decided against it as he took in her battered profile once more.

Melenia, on the other hand, was drowning. His green eyes sucked her in and refused to release her. As she sat there she feared that she would never be free of his gaze. She could not get herself to move, and she knew of no force strong enough to free her of him. Just as she was ready to give in to her sorrow and allow him to take over her soul once more, his image in the water began to dissipate and another one began to surface.

"My lady, are you alright?" Legolas asked softly. She stared at his reflection for several moments before answering.

"I do not think so my lord." she replied quietly.

"Would you like to return to the palace now?" And much to his surprise, she turned and looked him straight in the eyes after he finished asking her the question. This time there was no anger or hatred toward him. There was no vengeance or rage. Only a strange calm emanated from her eyes.

"Yes, I would like that very much." He offered her his hand, and she just stared at it. Fear and confusion attacked her at once.

"Take my hand princess. I promise I do not bite," he added after seeing her hesitation.

"I would take it, but I fear it will be of no use. I do not think I can walk all the way to the palace."

"Then I will carry you," he replied and with one quick motion he scooped her off the ground before she could protest. She quickly dropped her head against his chest for support, and she was fast asleep halfway to the palace. Legolas only smiled at her as she slept soundly in his arms. "You are full of surprises Melenia," he whispered softly.

The elves of the palace received yet another shock as they saw their prince approach the palace with the sleeping maiden in his arms. Most could not determine which sight was stranger, her battered form or his peaceful smile. He did not heed their curios looks as he carried her through corridor after corridor until he reached her room. Eowadia ran around swiftly trying to fix what he and Melenia had destroyed earlier in the morning, but Legolas decided that there would be time for that later.

"Can you clear the bed Eowadia?" he asked.

"My lord," she turned in shock, "what happened to her?"

"We were attacked by orcs," he replied as he set Melenia down on the bed. "Yet she...she seemed to battling something more than the orcs."

"What do you mean?" Eowadia asked. Her voice was laced with concern.

"I do not know. It was as if she was fighting her own battle. A battle that all of us could not see." He paused for a moment to reflect. "The Princess of Aèrogar holds many secrets. Perhaps one day I will uncover them," he finished with a slight smile.

"Go tend to your own injuries my lord. I will take care of her." He simply nodded in response and walked to the door.

"I will send a healer to check her. Please have someone inform me when she has recovered."

"Of course my lord," she replied with a warm smile.

The powerful Prince of Mirkwood exited the room and slowly walked down the corridor. It had been quite an eventful day, and he needed to sort through his thoughts and emotions.

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Bleeding now I'm
Crying out I'm
Falling down and I'm
Feeling nothing like
Laughing now I'm
Stopping now I'm
Reaching out and I'm
Feeling nothing

Yeah, you have created a rift within me
Now there have been several complications
That have left me feeling nothing
I might say, you were wrong to take it from me
Left me feeling nothing

Crawling now I'm
Beaten down I'm
Tortured now and I'm
Feeling nothing like
Hunting now I'm
Stalking now I'm
Reaching out and I'm
Killing nothing

I can feel you ripping and tearing
Feeding and growing inside of me
I want this, more than you know
I need this, give it back to me

*** These lyrics belong to the band Disturbed.***