A/N...Thanks so much for the reviews!
Mia, theReader (thanks so much that's a HUGE compliment), skatergirl,
lilli, vocalise, Tracy, and theonewhohassomethingtosay
Chapter 7 – The Revelation
Daylight streamed through her window, onto Lianna's face. It was the first night she had slept all the way through in weeks. Mostly because consciousness meant pain at having to think about Legolas and Katarina. She didn't eat that day. Her father came in often and held her in his arms, and she would cry on his chest until she fell asleep. Her grief consumed her.
Thrice that day she'd hear a soft knock on the door, and her father speaking in a low voice to whoever it was outside. Then he closed the door, and came into Lianna's room again, sitting on the edge of her bed. She could not hold it in. She sobbed hard, and he pulled her to him.
The next morning, her father reported to her, in his soft, gentle voice that Aragorn, Arwen, and Gandalf had visited yesterday. Most likely they all heard the engagement news and had come to comfort her. She figured that Gandalf knew, because the old man was like a grandfather to her, and seemed to know everything she thought. And she figured that if Arwen knew something, Aragorn would know it too, being as close as they were. She hadn't thought that Aragorn had figured it out on his own. Legolas had not yet visited her door. Or at least that was what she was told. In truth, Legolas had spent a good part of the night outside the Clearwater's front door. Danrin just didn't want to remind her of him.
The sun had started on its descent when Lianna decided to get out of bed. It seemed that every breath she took and every move she made caused her heart to break again. Yet she had decided to carry out her plan, still. She remembered how confessing to Arwen made her feel so much better, and she hoped confessing to Legolas would have the same effect.
So, she washed her face of the tears and decided to be strong, and not cry again that day. All her tears had been spent in the two days previous. She had a bite to eat, although she did not feel very hungry despite the fact that she hadn't eaten in nearly three days. Although she spoke no words to her family, her father stopped her before she went out the door. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked in a whisper.
How he had known what she was going to do was beyond her, but her mind was weary and could not ponder it. She simply smiled vaguely and answered, "Yes, I must." "You are stronger than I ever could have hoped." He kissed her forehead and opened the door for her, watching her walk down the cobblestone path a while before closing it. He leaned his back against the door and said a few elvish words of prayer.
The descending sun cast an orange-gold glow on Rivendell. She took in the surroundings and admitted inwardly that she had never seen the sunset so beautiful. Each step took more effort than the last. They led her at last to Legolas's room in the palace. She stood outside his door for a moment when a look of panic crossed her face. "No." She whispered and turned quickly to run back home. So terrified she was, that she would've been home by the time she realized she had run into someone. "Many apologies." She said and looked up.
If she had felt terror before, what she felt now was far worse than dread, horror, and dismay, and she would not wish it even upon her enemies. For she looked up into the handsome face of Legolas. That face, and those eyes, made her yearn for the feel of his arms around her and his soft lips on hers. "Lianna! You are turning into a ghost!" 'A ghost?' She thought with a silent grim chuckle. 'what a coincidence, since I am dead inside.'
The desire to have him was stronger than her fear. She didn't know what would come after her revelation, she just knew it had to be better than how she felt now. She was in her own personal hell. Not being able to have the man she loved. With new found courage, she said gravely, "Legolas I must speak with you in private." The solemnity of her words worried him, and he opened his door for her.
Legolas wanted so desperately to be there for Lianna in whatever she was going through. But for some reason, she hadn't wanted to confide in him. There was a fleeting thought that he could have had something to do with her pain. That was too awful to think about however, and he dismissed it. Soon he would find out, and his heart started beating rapidly, though he did not know why.
Lianna paced about the room. Legolas watched her from his chair. Finally, seeming to have found words, she stopped in front of him. "I had thought of a whole spiel, but now it seems rather silly. So I'll just say it." She paused and breathed heavily. "I-I love you, Legolas." He stared at her, not wanting to take what she had said in the wrong context. He would have to make her explain. "I love you too, Li." He said nonchalantly. "No, Legolas. I am in love with you."
She stopped to see if he had anything to say. He didn't. He didn't want to believe it. A rush of happiness came upon him first, then utter, utter despair. She saw it in his face. His beautiful brow was crinkled in thought, or confusion. His pale blue eyes searched the room for answers.
To cause him pain was the last thing she wanted. Seeing his anguish was too much. A lump welled up in her throat. She promised herself she wouldn't cry. She tried to fight it back, but as she looked at Legolas, it was impossible. Tears stung her eyes and filled to the brim before they spilled over.
At length, Legolas spoke. "I-I'm marrying Katarina." His brow still stitched in perplexity. That was all he could think to say? "I know this, you fool!" She raised her voice in hopelessness, "That is why I locked myself in my room for two and a half days with no food, just my misery and tears. It rips me up inside to see you with Katarina, because I want you to be mine... and I want to be yours." Tears still streamed from her eyes, and splattered on the floor. Legolas looked at the small puddles on the dark wood floorboards.
Legolas stood and looked into Lianna's eyes. "I had given up on the idea of ever being with you long before you ever thought of feeling that way for me." His face was unfeeling, and puzzlement took over her glistening green eyes. "What?" "I loved you since the moment I saw you, 974 years ago. But you refused to see it. It left a hole in my heart for a love that I have not been able to fill. I came to accept you as my best friend and now I am marrying Katarina. Her love may be less powerful, but at least it is all for me." Hearing Legolas say these cold words to her in his sweet voice, stung like a thousand arrows in her heart.
The pieces of her fragile, hopeful heart left unbroken were now cracked and on the verge of shattering. "But Legolas!" She wailed, "My love is all for you! For all eternity!" "But mine is not yours. I promised Katarina all my love. That I can only give to one person, it is not to be shared." Her heart was gone. No more tears fell, no more sobs came from the elf; she was simply silent.
Legolas felt a pang of guilt come over him as she looked into his eyes one last time. What he saw there was unsettling. He saw nothing. No sparkle, no color. The past few days, her life had been fueled by hope, and he had crushed the last of that she had left. It was as if he had drained her soul. Lianna broke the gaze and walked briskly out his door.
Legolas sighed sadly. The reflection of the sunset in the puddles of tears on the floor caught his eye. He knelt down beside them. He dabbed his finger in one and rubbed the liquid between his thumb and forefinger. They were little bits of Li's soul, drawn out by rejection. Make no mistake, Legolas cared for her deeply, and under other circumstances, would've gladly taken her for a lover and/or wife. He'd do anything for her, but not at the expense of another's heartache. For Katarina loved him also. And although there was not the same fire as he felt for Lianna so many years ago, there was a certainty, a safety that a life with her would bring.
As for Lianna, their friendship would never be the same, he feared. He mourned the loss of his dearest friend, and was surprised to hear his own tears splatter into the puddles Lianna had started.
Days later, Legolas had begun to question his decision. He hadn't seen Lianna about since, and every now and then would stop in the gardens and reminisce about their times together. Katarina was sincerely displeased with this. She incessantly reminded him of their impending wedding and of all the things to do before they left for the ceremony in Mirkwood. Legolas would simply nod and follow her back to the palace, only to sit by the window and stare blankly out.
Chapter 7 – The Revelation
Daylight streamed through her window, onto Lianna's face. It was the first night she had slept all the way through in weeks. Mostly because consciousness meant pain at having to think about Legolas and Katarina. She didn't eat that day. Her father came in often and held her in his arms, and she would cry on his chest until she fell asleep. Her grief consumed her.
Thrice that day she'd hear a soft knock on the door, and her father speaking in a low voice to whoever it was outside. Then he closed the door, and came into Lianna's room again, sitting on the edge of her bed. She could not hold it in. She sobbed hard, and he pulled her to him.
The next morning, her father reported to her, in his soft, gentle voice that Aragorn, Arwen, and Gandalf had visited yesterday. Most likely they all heard the engagement news and had come to comfort her. She figured that Gandalf knew, because the old man was like a grandfather to her, and seemed to know everything she thought. And she figured that if Arwen knew something, Aragorn would know it too, being as close as they were. She hadn't thought that Aragorn had figured it out on his own. Legolas had not yet visited her door. Or at least that was what she was told. In truth, Legolas had spent a good part of the night outside the Clearwater's front door. Danrin just didn't want to remind her of him.
The sun had started on its descent when Lianna decided to get out of bed. It seemed that every breath she took and every move she made caused her heart to break again. Yet she had decided to carry out her plan, still. She remembered how confessing to Arwen made her feel so much better, and she hoped confessing to Legolas would have the same effect.
So, she washed her face of the tears and decided to be strong, and not cry again that day. All her tears had been spent in the two days previous. She had a bite to eat, although she did not feel very hungry despite the fact that she hadn't eaten in nearly three days. Although she spoke no words to her family, her father stopped her before she went out the door. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked in a whisper.
How he had known what she was going to do was beyond her, but her mind was weary and could not ponder it. She simply smiled vaguely and answered, "Yes, I must." "You are stronger than I ever could have hoped." He kissed her forehead and opened the door for her, watching her walk down the cobblestone path a while before closing it. He leaned his back against the door and said a few elvish words of prayer.
The descending sun cast an orange-gold glow on Rivendell. She took in the surroundings and admitted inwardly that she had never seen the sunset so beautiful. Each step took more effort than the last. They led her at last to Legolas's room in the palace. She stood outside his door for a moment when a look of panic crossed her face. "No." She whispered and turned quickly to run back home. So terrified she was, that she would've been home by the time she realized she had run into someone. "Many apologies." She said and looked up.
If she had felt terror before, what she felt now was far worse than dread, horror, and dismay, and she would not wish it even upon her enemies. For she looked up into the handsome face of Legolas. That face, and those eyes, made her yearn for the feel of his arms around her and his soft lips on hers. "Lianna! You are turning into a ghost!" 'A ghost?' She thought with a silent grim chuckle. 'what a coincidence, since I am dead inside.'
The desire to have him was stronger than her fear. She didn't know what would come after her revelation, she just knew it had to be better than how she felt now. She was in her own personal hell. Not being able to have the man she loved. With new found courage, she said gravely, "Legolas I must speak with you in private." The solemnity of her words worried him, and he opened his door for her.
Legolas wanted so desperately to be there for Lianna in whatever she was going through. But for some reason, she hadn't wanted to confide in him. There was a fleeting thought that he could have had something to do with her pain. That was too awful to think about however, and he dismissed it. Soon he would find out, and his heart started beating rapidly, though he did not know why.
Lianna paced about the room. Legolas watched her from his chair. Finally, seeming to have found words, she stopped in front of him. "I had thought of a whole spiel, but now it seems rather silly. So I'll just say it." She paused and breathed heavily. "I-I love you, Legolas." He stared at her, not wanting to take what she had said in the wrong context. He would have to make her explain. "I love you too, Li." He said nonchalantly. "No, Legolas. I am in love with you."
She stopped to see if he had anything to say. He didn't. He didn't want to believe it. A rush of happiness came upon him first, then utter, utter despair. She saw it in his face. His beautiful brow was crinkled in thought, or confusion. His pale blue eyes searched the room for answers.
To cause him pain was the last thing she wanted. Seeing his anguish was too much. A lump welled up in her throat. She promised herself she wouldn't cry. She tried to fight it back, but as she looked at Legolas, it was impossible. Tears stung her eyes and filled to the brim before they spilled over.
At length, Legolas spoke. "I-I'm marrying Katarina." His brow still stitched in perplexity. That was all he could think to say? "I know this, you fool!" She raised her voice in hopelessness, "That is why I locked myself in my room for two and a half days with no food, just my misery and tears. It rips me up inside to see you with Katarina, because I want you to be mine... and I want to be yours." Tears still streamed from her eyes, and splattered on the floor. Legolas looked at the small puddles on the dark wood floorboards.
Legolas stood and looked into Lianna's eyes. "I had given up on the idea of ever being with you long before you ever thought of feeling that way for me." His face was unfeeling, and puzzlement took over her glistening green eyes. "What?" "I loved you since the moment I saw you, 974 years ago. But you refused to see it. It left a hole in my heart for a love that I have not been able to fill. I came to accept you as my best friend and now I am marrying Katarina. Her love may be less powerful, but at least it is all for me." Hearing Legolas say these cold words to her in his sweet voice, stung like a thousand arrows in her heart.
The pieces of her fragile, hopeful heart left unbroken were now cracked and on the verge of shattering. "But Legolas!" She wailed, "My love is all for you! For all eternity!" "But mine is not yours. I promised Katarina all my love. That I can only give to one person, it is not to be shared." Her heart was gone. No more tears fell, no more sobs came from the elf; she was simply silent.
Legolas felt a pang of guilt come over him as she looked into his eyes one last time. What he saw there was unsettling. He saw nothing. No sparkle, no color. The past few days, her life had been fueled by hope, and he had crushed the last of that she had left. It was as if he had drained her soul. Lianna broke the gaze and walked briskly out his door.
Legolas sighed sadly. The reflection of the sunset in the puddles of tears on the floor caught his eye. He knelt down beside them. He dabbed his finger in one and rubbed the liquid between his thumb and forefinger. They were little bits of Li's soul, drawn out by rejection. Make no mistake, Legolas cared for her deeply, and under other circumstances, would've gladly taken her for a lover and/or wife. He'd do anything for her, but not at the expense of another's heartache. For Katarina loved him also. And although there was not the same fire as he felt for Lianna so many years ago, there was a certainty, a safety that a life with her would bring.
As for Lianna, their friendship would never be the same, he feared. He mourned the loss of his dearest friend, and was surprised to hear his own tears splatter into the puddles Lianna had started.
Days later, Legolas had begun to question his decision. He hadn't seen Lianna about since, and every now and then would stop in the gardens and reminisce about their times together. Katarina was sincerely displeased with this. She incessantly reminded him of their impending wedding and of all the things to do before they left for the ceremony in Mirkwood. Legolas would simply nod and follow her back to the palace, only to sit by the window and stare blankly out.