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Chapter 5
"Arwen?" Legolas called through the door after knocking, hoping against all hope that he was wrong, and this visit was unnecessary. It suddenly struck him how long it had been since he had actually knocked. He usually just walked in and swept her into his arms.
"Come in." It didn't sound like her at all. The voice sounded shaky and afraid. He didn't think he ever had seen or heard her frightened of anything.
When he walked in the door, her back was to him and she was staring out the window. He crossed the room and saw that she was gazing at a group in which he recognized Elladan, Elrohir, and Aragorn deep in conversation. He was wondering what they were talking about when the man suddenly looked up to the window. The prince of the Woodland Realm saw recognition and conclusion register in his wyes. Suddenly Legolas had a horrible idea, but it couldn't be true. It just couldn't be.
Legolas put his hand on Arwen's shoulder, sensing that she needed to be comforted. She whirled around, and the blonde elf got the distinct impression that she had forgotten he was in the room.
There were tears in her eyes.
"Dearest, what is the matter?" he asked tenderly, though he already knew the answer.
"Legolas..." she began, choking back a sob. "Legolas, I love another." The words came out hard and choppy, as if she didn't want to say them, but knew she had to.
"Why?" He was being irrational now and knew it, yet he didn't care. "Why not me? Aren't I good enough for you?" he almost spit. "Oh, that's right, you're the most beautiful elf of our time," he said in a mocking tone, though he had told her that a million times himself.
"Legolas..." She was really scared now. He was acting like a raving lunatic. "Dear, it's not anything wrong with you. It's just that there is someone else I care for more deeply than you."
"I'm..." Now he was the one trying to hold back the tears. "I'm sorry if I alarmed you, dearest. I don't know what came over me." He could hold them back no longer. "Tell me: Who is it?"
"It's...it's..." Was it safe to tell him? In this state, who knew what he might do. "...it's..." She was being foolish. Her love could take care of himself. On top of that, the two of them were such close friends that Legolas would never dream of hurting him.
"Estel," she said in a barely audible whisper.
"Hope? You want me to have hope? Or are you hoping for something?"
"No!" she screamed, throwing all caution to the wind. "Not hope! ESTEL! STRIDER! ELLESSAR! ARAGORN, SON OF ARATHORN, AND HEIR TO THE THRONE OF GONDOR! That is who I love!"
Legolas was shocked. Aragorn? Aragorn? The brother of his heart? How could he have betrayed him? His best friend? No. Never once had Legolas told him that Arwen Undomiel, daughter of Elrond Half-Elven, was his love. He had always just said that she was an elf who dwelt at Imladris or Lothlorien. They didn't want the relationship to be widely known; only Elrond, Elrohir, Elladan, and Legolas's sister knew about it. Everyone else knew they had an understanding with someone, but not with whom.
Suddenly everything clicked. He knew the man had been in Lothlorien at the same time as Arwen. And something had been different since that one visit. And Aragorn had arrived in Rivendell the next day.
Arwen hadn't merely been wondering what her brothers were discussing. She had been gazing at her beloved!
A thought struck Legolas: if Aragorn did not return Arwen's feelings, there was still a chance, slim though it may be, that he could get her back! But for the plan to work, he had to know:
"Arwen," he said quietly, wishing not to alarm her, "does he love you?"
At first she said nothing. Indeed, it appeared as though she had forgotten how. But then, she nodded.
There it was. His last hope gone. An odd gleam came into his eyes. Arwen noticed it.
"Legolas? Legolas, what is it?" It looked as though he was going to...to kill someone! "You're not going to hurt him, are you?" she begged, terrified.
"Aragorn?" And now the look was spreading to the rest of his face. "No. Why did you even ask? I could never hurt the tornnya indon." The look was now marred by more tears coming forth. "I guess this is namaarie, melesse nin." He didn't make a move toward the door, yet his hands went to the knives hanging from his belt, as always.
Chapter 5
"Arwen?" Legolas called through the door after knocking, hoping against all hope that he was wrong, and this visit was unnecessary. It suddenly struck him how long it had been since he had actually knocked. He usually just walked in and swept her into his arms.
"Come in." It didn't sound like her at all. The voice sounded shaky and afraid. He didn't think he ever had seen or heard her frightened of anything.
When he walked in the door, her back was to him and she was staring out the window. He crossed the room and saw that she was gazing at a group in which he recognized Elladan, Elrohir, and Aragorn deep in conversation. He was wondering what they were talking about when the man suddenly looked up to the window. The prince of the Woodland Realm saw recognition and conclusion register in his wyes. Suddenly Legolas had a horrible idea, but it couldn't be true. It just couldn't be.
Legolas put his hand on Arwen's shoulder, sensing that she needed to be comforted. She whirled around, and the blonde elf got the distinct impression that she had forgotten he was in the room.
There were tears in her eyes.
"Dearest, what is the matter?" he asked tenderly, though he already knew the answer.
"Legolas..." she began, choking back a sob. "Legolas, I love another." The words came out hard and choppy, as if she didn't want to say them, but knew she had to.
"Why?" He was being irrational now and knew it, yet he didn't care. "Why not me? Aren't I good enough for you?" he almost spit. "Oh, that's right, you're the most beautiful elf of our time," he said in a mocking tone, though he had told her that a million times himself.
"Legolas..." She was really scared now. He was acting like a raving lunatic. "Dear, it's not anything wrong with you. It's just that there is someone else I care for more deeply than you."
"I'm..." Now he was the one trying to hold back the tears. "I'm sorry if I alarmed you, dearest. I don't know what came over me." He could hold them back no longer. "Tell me: Who is it?"
"It's...it's..." Was it safe to tell him? In this state, who knew what he might do. "...it's..." She was being foolish. Her love could take care of himself. On top of that, the two of them were such close friends that Legolas would never dream of hurting him.
"Estel," she said in a barely audible whisper.
"Hope? You want me to have hope? Or are you hoping for something?"
"No!" she screamed, throwing all caution to the wind. "Not hope! ESTEL! STRIDER! ELLESSAR! ARAGORN, SON OF ARATHORN, AND HEIR TO THE THRONE OF GONDOR! That is who I love!"
Legolas was shocked. Aragorn? Aragorn? The brother of his heart? How could he have betrayed him? His best friend? No. Never once had Legolas told him that Arwen Undomiel, daughter of Elrond Half-Elven, was his love. He had always just said that she was an elf who dwelt at Imladris or Lothlorien. They didn't want the relationship to be widely known; only Elrond, Elrohir, Elladan, and Legolas's sister knew about it. Everyone else knew they had an understanding with someone, but not with whom.
Suddenly everything clicked. He knew the man had been in Lothlorien at the same time as Arwen. And something had been different since that one visit. And Aragorn had arrived in Rivendell the next day.
Arwen hadn't merely been wondering what her brothers were discussing. She had been gazing at her beloved!
A thought struck Legolas: if Aragorn did not return Arwen's feelings, there was still a chance, slim though it may be, that he could get her back! But for the plan to work, he had to know:
"Arwen," he said quietly, wishing not to alarm her, "does he love you?"
At first she said nothing. Indeed, it appeared as though she had forgotten how. But then, she nodded.
There it was. His last hope gone. An odd gleam came into his eyes. Arwen noticed it.
"Legolas? Legolas, what is it?" It looked as though he was going to...to kill someone! "You're not going to hurt him, are you?" she begged, terrified.
"Aragorn?" And now the look was spreading to the rest of his face. "No. Why did you even ask? I could never hurt the tornnya indon." The look was now marred by more tears coming forth. "I guess this is namaarie, melesse nin." He didn't make a move toward the door, yet his hands went to the knives hanging from his belt, as always.