Her heart beat wildly inside her chest as the train stopped in front of her house. No one was outside to greet her except the servants of her home. She watched as the King's servants prepared to leave and she then turned and walked into the house.
Silence. The silence was unbearable. A house with so many children should never be this quiet. She wanted someone to just get it over with and yell at her, but there was no one.
One of the servants turned to Eden and said, "Your parents are waiting for you in the study. Go quickly." Eden turned to walk to the study, but then the servant grasped her arm.
"Good luck, Lady Eden," she whispered and then released Eden's arm and ran into the kitchen. Eden swallowed the panic rising in her throat and walked slowly to the study.
The tall doors were closed. Her heart felt as if it would implode. Oh, was she going to get it....
The servant standing in front of the door opened it for her and she walked in to the room. The door slammed harshly behind her. She felt trapped.
Sun light poured into the room, making for a deceivingly cheery atmosphere. Sitting behind his wooden desk, her father sat, a grim look on his face. Her mother, with the same look, sat near him in a chair. Despite the sullen look on her face, she looked lovely. The sunlight played on her hair, making it seem like real shining gold and her pale face was striking against her green velvet dress. Her large blue eyes seemed transparent as she stared at Eden with a disappointing look.
"How was your stay at the palace, Eden?" her father asked. The grim look was gone and a warm smile had set in.
"I...It....it.....was...it was...um....," she stuttered. What could she say? That despite all the work she had to do, she was starting to fall in love with a certain prince that her family detests? That she had a good time? That she was actually missing the palace, missing Legolas?
"It was awful," she finally said. 'There,' she thought, 'that would make them happy.'
Yet her father's face did not change.
"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, the same warm smile on his face. But despite this, she was growing more and more fearful and tears slid down her face.
Her father looked to her mother and nodded and then suddenly stood up and left the room. She stood alone, looking down at the floor, tears still rolling down her cheeks. Her mother stood up and embraced Eden in a most loving fashion.
"Eden, you have been through much," her mother crooned, "And your father and I realize that. Your punishment will not be harsh. I won't allow it. There now, child, shed no more tears."
"I'm sorry," sobbed Eden, "I'm sorry for everything."
"I know, I know, " her mother laughed, " But you are safe now and that is all that matters. Your punishment will just be more chores, but there is something I have to talk to you about."
"Is that why father left?" asked Eden, sniffling. Her mother pulled away and went to sit down at her husband's seat. Eden sat down as well.
"I heard rumors from the palace about you," her mother said. "About you and Prince Legolas." Eden's heart seemed to stop. "They say he was in your room....unsupervised. Is this true?"
"Um.....yes, but-," Eden started but was interrupted.
"Eden, have I not warned you before of that family?" her mother sat up, her eyes angry, "Have I not told you countless times to stay away?"
"But mother I didn't do anything!" she cried and then swallowed hard as she prepared to lie to her mother, "I don't even know why he went into my room. When he walked in, he just started to insult me! I hate him, mother!"
Her mother looked surprised at first and then smiled. "Our friends do tell such silly tales," her mother laughed. "I knew you were smarter than that. I told them so." Eden felt the guilt bear down on her as she nodded her head and smiled.
And so, Eden was given four months of labor. She was tired all the time and she had started to get very thin (or thinner than she was, if that was possible) and pale since she was always working inside the house and rarely left it.
But then she was tired for other reasons too. She spent many long nights waiting for Legolas who never showed up. After three months, she had decided that it had all been a sick joke and she felt very upset.
After her punishment was over, she had the time to sit outside with her mother and take walks with her siblings. She started to eat well and gained some weight, or at least returned to her usual size. But she had changed somehow. Others had noticed it too. She was no longer gleeful and smiling as she was before and she started to isolate herself more and more in her room.
One night, she stood in front of the mirror in her night gown.
'Ugh, I'm disgusting,' she thought for she envied all the other elf maidens who were voluptuous and had curves and some actual "meat" on them. She pushed her almost non-existent breasts into the air.
'Why are they so small!?' she whined. No matter how much she ate, she almost never gained any weight, except of course when she was doing the punishment, but that was her body's limit. She could get no "fatter" than that (A/N: lucky bitch).
She looked into the mirror once more and pushed her hair back.
Suddenly, a gloved hand cupped her mouth and the other arm held her in place. She whimpered softly.
"Shhhh," Legolas whispered and then released her, laughing gently.
"That was not very nice," Eden said in a hoarse whisper. She went over to her door and locked it. She turned around, her eyes narrowed at him. "So, Prince Legolas decides to bless me with his presence tonight....."
"Well, you were more or less under a very tiring punishment at all times for four months," he said. He then started to speak of how he managed to sneak out of a dinner party to see her, but she was not paying attention (A/N: she does this a lot, as you can see. She sort of spaces out when she looks at him sometimes, but then, who wouldn't?). His hair was pulled back in its usual way and golden strands danced across his shoulders. His skin was like pure milk and his eyes, still the same piercing blue, reflected the moon's light. He was wearing a black cloak and underneath that, very fancy clothing, proof that he had indeed been at a dinner party. His lips moved sensuously as he talked and his deep voice was soothing somehow.
He seemed so warm, so inviting and yet cold and cruel at the same time, but then those were the characteristics of a King, were they not? (A/N: If you don't think so, read Machiavelli. Not everything he says is right, but the man makes sense). She wanted to wrap herself in those strong arms of his and never move for the rest of eternity.
She awoke from her stupor just in time, when he suddenly said, "I have missed you, Eden."
"Thank- I mean.....I have missed you as well, Legolas," she said, quickly, her eyes moving away from his.
"And yet you do not seem happy to see me," Legolas said. Her eyes moved back up to his.
"It's not that," she sighed, "It's just that I thought that you didn't care anymore. I thought that you were only joking at the palace."
"I was not," Legolas reassured her, his footsteps were silent as he walked towards her and pulled her into him. She sighed and leaned her head back as Legolas' mouth worked its magic on her neck. This was the moment that she decided that she was definitely interested in boys.
His mouth slowly moved up to hers, showering her with little kisses on the way. And when his mouth met hers and his tongue slipped into her mouth, she did not pull away or feel disgusted. The jaws of passion had captured her.
But then his hands started to travel and her eyes shot wide open. He felt her tenseness and stopped, still holding her. His eyes flickered in restrained lust, as he searched her worried and frightened face.
She pulled herself from his grasp and he let go reluctantly.
"Did you come here to fondle me?" she snapped. "To have a cheap thrill at my expense? Perhaps my mother was right...."
"Eden, stop!" he cried, "I came here to be with you. If you're implying that this was planned then no, it wasn't. I wish that you could just trust me. What can I do to earn your trust?"
'Oh those eyes of his,' she thought as she stared at him. They seemed to gleam even more now that he was upset.
"It will take time," she said, "It will take much time."
"Then I will wait all eternity," he whispered and before she had a chance to answer, he swiftly disappeared through the window. She did enjoy all the romantic things he said, but often times it got very frustrating because then that made her think that she had to say romantic things as well and she simply could not make a good enough "romantic" statement that would match the caliber of his. Nevertheless, she promised herself that she would do so next time. If there was a next time, that is.
Legolas did not come back for months after that and Eden again started to feel the loneliness and emptiness and betrayal. 'He had indeed betrayed me,' she had thought, 'What a fool I am!'
But she was surprised to find him in her room when she came upstairs from supper. She quickly locked it and ran over to him...and punched him in the shoulder......hard.
"Oww," muttered Legolas, rubbing the place where she hit, "What was that for?"
"You are always doing this," she growled, "and then you dare ask why I don't trust you?"
"How easy do you think it is for a Prince to move around without being under the constant eye of his guards?" Legolas removed his boots and lay on her bed, looking out the window. "I had to run across tree branches to get here." Some of his blond hair sprawled across her pillows.
Eden had put her hair down. She was wearing a simple blue elvish dress that reached slightly below her ankles.
She walked over to her bed and straddled him. Now, this was not a sexual gesture in the least bit (although a certain someone might have taken it as such). Eden did not know what a sexual gesture was nor did she care. All she knew is that now she was sitting on him and he couldn't get up.
"Legolas, what is it like to be in a battle?" she asked.
"Brutal, chaotic, horrible, too many words to describe it," he answered.
"Would you protect me if we were in a battle?" she asked, her innocent eyes staring down at his.
"You will not be in any battles," Legolas smirked.
"But if I was, would you?" she poked at his ribs and he jumped, grabbing her hands and smiling slightly.
"Of course I would," he said, "I'd protect you with my life. Why do you ask?"
"I was just wondering," said Eden. "I don't really need to be protected. I am a great warrior."
"Is that so?" Legolas laughed.
"You dare doubt me?!" Eden started to tickle him once more, but their giggling and laughter was cut short by a knock on the door.
"Eden?" her father's voice rang, "Eden, what are you doing?"
"Nothing father," she answered, "I was just reading a part of a book which made me laugh. Sorry if I was too loud!"
Her father laughed as well and walked away, reassured. Eden and Legolas burst into quiet laugher.
Eden put a finger to Legolas' lips. He kissed it. "We will have to be extra quiet now, my Prince," she whispered. He pulled her down into a kiss, one that left her light-headed when she pulled back. She saw that somehow part of his shirt had come undone and a portion of his hard, muscular chest had been exposed. She pulled the rest of it back and traced her fingers on his stomach. He shivered.
"Did I come here to be fondled?" he smirked. Eden opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it again. He had a point. She was being a hypocrite.
"Yes you did," she answered, stoutly. Legolas laughed and so did she.
'Alright Eden, be romantic,' she thought.
"The sky is beautiful," she said, looking out the window, and then added, "like your eyes."
It was now Legolas' turn to start laughing. "Thank you, Eden," he chuckled, "That's very nice of you to say." Eden punched him hard in the chest.
"What!?" cried Legolas and started laughing again.
"It's not funny," glared Eden, "I was trying to be romantic. You ruined it, you atrocious elf!"
Legolas held back laughter. "Beautiful creature, one does not makes attempts at being romantic," he said, holding her hands, "It comes naturally. Romantic words are words from the heart. It is your heart that should speak, not your mind. For if your mind does, then you will say things like what you just said to me."
"Blast your intelligence," she whispered as she lay her head down on his chest, listening to his steady heart-beat. His hands stroked her hair. She took one of them and splayed it out in front of her, studying it's every curve, line, scar.
He had long delicate-looking fingers and perfect, well-manicured fingernails, as if he had never picked up a bow or sword in his life, as if his hands were untouched by blood and other disgusting things of the battle field. She knew they were very strong. He, himself, was very ancient and strong and if he wanted to, those hands could hurt, or even worse, kill her, but instead they were caressing her gently. Those same hands that have killed countless orcs where now running themselves through her hair and down her back and making her feel safe and loved.
"You know Legolas," she whispered, "I have never had a friend outside the family. I think you are the first."
No response came.
"Legolas?" she lifted her head. He was asleep.
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A/N: Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I don't know what the end will be like. I don't like writing drama scenes. They're annoying. "Oh Legolas/Eden/Father/Mother/King/Queen/ uncle of my mother's great aunt's niece, you're dead!!!" sob sob sob cry cry cry. It happens in too many stories on FF.net and Disney (heh) and frankly, it just gets too dull. But who knows, maybe I will give in. I am just soooo happy that everyone is enjoying the story so far. As for the title of the last chapter, I'm still thinking, but thanks for all the suggestions!!! *inexperienced kisses to all* ;-)