Chapter 10 – All For Love
Katarina paced the floor. Legolas hadn't returned, and it had been over an hour and a half since she left the garden. He probably thought she was sleeping. She searched Legolas's room with her eyes. His clothes were strewn amongst her own. The sheets were thrown back on his side, tossed off hastily as he rushed to meet his lover, braving the downpour. She went over it in her head. He had tired her out, waited until she fell asleep, snuck out of the bed and out of the palace, and ran through the rain to meet her. They probably have a secret rendezvous site, too. She burned with anger. The bitter expression still painted on her face.
How could he do this to her? How could Lianna do this to her? Katarina had confided in Lianna, and sought her advice. With a growl of fierce rage, Katarina drove her fist into the stone wall, as if she saw Lianna's face there. She ignored the pain, which was immense, and continued pacing.
'He had proposed. He said he loved me. How could he lie to me like that? I thought it was real.' Fury coursed through her veins and ignited all her limbs with a venomous wrath. She tossed the room about, turning end tables, trays, anything that wasn't nailed down.
Someone was bound to hear her. But she didn't care. She couldn't control her rage. She grabbed Legolas's sheath and raised it above her head, but abruptly stopped. She lowered her arm and looked at the sheath intently. Placing a hand on the hilt, she pulled it out with a delicious ringing sound. The blade glinted in the moonlight. It gave Katarina a feeling of power. She had never handled weapons before, and now she wondered why. It was exhilarating. She swung the blade through the air, captivated by the wonderful slicing sound it made as it cut cleanly though the air. Bringing the blade in front of her she looked keenly at it, as if she'd never seen it before.
Then, a mischievous smile crossed her lips, and her eyes shot from the sword to the balcony, where the curtain was yet billowing. The rain had let up and was pattering on the cement pathway to the garden...the garden. Her eyes glinted and she returned the sword to its sheath, lying it on the bed as she dressed hastily. Before she turned to run out the door, she glanced at the balcony once again, then turned to snatch up the sword on her way out.
Legolas and Lianna were blissfully oblivious to Katarina's plans as they snuck into her bedroom. Her brothers were gone, and her father snoring loudly as she and Legolas laughed profusely in each other's arms between kisses. Lianna pressed her finger to her lips, but Legolas ignored the warning gesture and kissed her forehead. Lianna seemed to forget all she had thought as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his soft lips.
She was so relieved it was finally over. So relieved, that she had in fact forgotten all about Katarina. As far as she was concerned, Legolas had chosen her, and all was right in the world. He kissed her neck, holding their bodies close so no air could be seen between them. Lianna left the embrace and sat on the edge of her bed, patting the mattress next to her, with a mischievously suggestive eyebrow waggle. Legolas laughed and playfully pushed her back onto the bed, and lay on top of her, holding his weight up on his forearms.
The moonlight cast a silvery gray beam into her room. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and Lianna tucked his hair, which seemingly encased their faces in a blonde screen, behind his ear. Her finger grazed the tip of his ear, and he gently took her wrist. He turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand, then began to unbutton her tunic while she traced his lips with her thumb.
The moment was perfect. Lianna's happy place, which had been just a fantasy, was becoming reality.
The rain had softened and now felt like cold, wet grains of sand on Katarina's face as she slipped behind tress to avoid being seen, although there was no one around. Finally, she made it to Lianna's house. Katarina went around to the back and peered through Lianna's window in vain. A thick cloud had passed in front of the moon and cast a dark shadow on all of Rivendell.
Her elf eyes could barely discern a figure laying asleep on the bed. Katarina half smiled. There she was. The damn elleth that had ruined her happiness. Katarina slowly pushed the window open. No elves locked their houses at night, for there was nothing to be afraid of. Knowing how light of sleepers elves are, Katarina took special care in sneaking through the window and into the room unnoticed.
Once she was in, Katarina stood across the room from the figure on the bed. She unsheathed Legolas's sword. The sound of it was music to her. The weight of it in her hand made her smile grow. Katarina walked to the side of the bed. The figure was facing the wall, with blankets pulled up close to her ear. Katarina's breath came out as a hiss through her clenched teeth. This was loud enough that the sleeping elf's eyes fluttered open dreamily. 'Did I hear something?' The obliviously drowsy elf wondered without moving.
Katarina's eyes began to adjust more to the darkness, and she clutched the sword in both hands and held it above her head. Her rage came back to her twofold, deafening her to the sounds of the world around her, and blinding her eyes to everything but the sleeping target in front of her.
Just before she struck, Katarina let out a horrible shriek. Others in the village would later claim it sounded to them like someone screamed, "Lianna!" The elf on the bed was alert enough to move so the blade drove through the left shoulder, instead of the heart. The unmistakable scream of a woman drew Katarina's attention from the elf under her sword to the shadows behind her. The moon had broken through the clouds and shone into the room enough so Katarina fancied she saw Lianna's figure in the bathroom doorway.
A/N ... you can draw your own conclusions... I'm pretty sure my readers are smart enough to figure it out, but I'm still gonna make ya wait til next update to find out for sure...so tune in next time...same bat-time same bat- channel. ~Austin B.
Katarina paced the floor. Legolas hadn't returned, and it had been over an hour and a half since she left the garden. He probably thought she was sleeping. She searched Legolas's room with her eyes. His clothes were strewn amongst her own. The sheets were thrown back on his side, tossed off hastily as he rushed to meet his lover, braving the downpour. She went over it in her head. He had tired her out, waited until she fell asleep, snuck out of the bed and out of the palace, and ran through the rain to meet her. They probably have a secret rendezvous site, too. She burned with anger. The bitter expression still painted on her face.
How could he do this to her? How could Lianna do this to her? Katarina had confided in Lianna, and sought her advice. With a growl of fierce rage, Katarina drove her fist into the stone wall, as if she saw Lianna's face there. She ignored the pain, which was immense, and continued pacing.
'He had proposed. He said he loved me. How could he lie to me like that? I thought it was real.' Fury coursed through her veins and ignited all her limbs with a venomous wrath. She tossed the room about, turning end tables, trays, anything that wasn't nailed down.
Someone was bound to hear her. But she didn't care. She couldn't control her rage. She grabbed Legolas's sheath and raised it above her head, but abruptly stopped. She lowered her arm and looked at the sheath intently. Placing a hand on the hilt, she pulled it out with a delicious ringing sound. The blade glinted in the moonlight. It gave Katarina a feeling of power. She had never handled weapons before, and now she wondered why. It was exhilarating. She swung the blade through the air, captivated by the wonderful slicing sound it made as it cut cleanly though the air. Bringing the blade in front of her she looked keenly at it, as if she'd never seen it before.
Then, a mischievous smile crossed her lips, and her eyes shot from the sword to the balcony, where the curtain was yet billowing. The rain had let up and was pattering on the cement pathway to the garden...the garden. Her eyes glinted and she returned the sword to its sheath, lying it on the bed as she dressed hastily. Before she turned to run out the door, she glanced at the balcony once again, then turned to snatch up the sword on her way out.
Legolas and Lianna were blissfully oblivious to Katarina's plans as they snuck into her bedroom. Her brothers were gone, and her father snoring loudly as she and Legolas laughed profusely in each other's arms between kisses. Lianna pressed her finger to her lips, but Legolas ignored the warning gesture and kissed her forehead. Lianna seemed to forget all she had thought as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his soft lips.
She was so relieved it was finally over. So relieved, that she had in fact forgotten all about Katarina. As far as she was concerned, Legolas had chosen her, and all was right in the world. He kissed her neck, holding their bodies close so no air could be seen between them. Lianna left the embrace and sat on the edge of her bed, patting the mattress next to her, with a mischievously suggestive eyebrow waggle. Legolas laughed and playfully pushed her back onto the bed, and lay on top of her, holding his weight up on his forearms.
The moonlight cast a silvery gray beam into her room. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and Lianna tucked his hair, which seemingly encased their faces in a blonde screen, behind his ear. Her finger grazed the tip of his ear, and he gently took her wrist. He turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand, then began to unbutton her tunic while she traced his lips with her thumb.
The moment was perfect. Lianna's happy place, which had been just a fantasy, was becoming reality.
The rain had softened and now felt like cold, wet grains of sand on Katarina's face as she slipped behind tress to avoid being seen, although there was no one around. Finally, she made it to Lianna's house. Katarina went around to the back and peered through Lianna's window in vain. A thick cloud had passed in front of the moon and cast a dark shadow on all of Rivendell.
Her elf eyes could barely discern a figure laying asleep on the bed. Katarina half smiled. There she was. The damn elleth that had ruined her happiness. Katarina slowly pushed the window open. No elves locked their houses at night, for there was nothing to be afraid of. Knowing how light of sleepers elves are, Katarina took special care in sneaking through the window and into the room unnoticed.
Once she was in, Katarina stood across the room from the figure on the bed. She unsheathed Legolas's sword. The sound of it was music to her. The weight of it in her hand made her smile grow. Katarina walked to the side of the bed. The figure was facing the wall, with blankets pulled up close to her ear. Katarina's breath came out as a hiss through her clenched teeth. This was loud enough that the sleeping elf's eyes fluttered open dreamily. 'Did I hear something?' The obliviously drowsy elf wondered without moving.
Katarina's eyes began to adjust more to the darkness, and she clutched the sword in both hands and held it above her head. Her rage came back to her twofold, deafening her to the sounds of the world around her, and blinding her eyes to everything but the sleeping target in front of her.
Just before she struck, Katarina let out a horrible shriek. Others in the village would later claim it sounded to them like someone screamed, "Lianna!" The elf on the bed was alert enough to move so the blade drove through the left shoulder, instead of the heart. The unmistakable scream of a woman drew Katarina's attention from the elf under her sword to the shadows behind her. The moon had broken through the clouds and shone into the room enough so Katarina fancied she saw Lianna's figure in the bathroom doorway.
A/N ... you can draw your own conclusions... I'm pretty sure my readers are smart enough to figure it out, but I'm still gonna make ya wait til next update to find out for sure...so tune in next time...same bat-time same bat- channel. ~Austin B.