Disclaimer: Mwahaha! I own nothing!
AN: Nearing chapter 50 here….*winces* God this is gonna be a monsterous story. I haven't even started the good parts yet. Lets hope my computer doesn't crash.
Also, I'm really sorry about the long time it took me to update. But I have my reasons. I was sick all of last week, I have a choir competition this weekend that I must practice for, the school play tryouts are this week, and I have two psychology papers and a test that I have to do. I'm really sorry for the late update, and I regret to say this but…it's probably gonna start to happen more often. I made the mistake of making my story my top priority and my schoolwork has started suffering because of it. I can no longer update every week. I'm really really sorry for this and I wish I could do something about it. I hope you guys understand. Thanks.
~Roseblade22
************Chapter 47**************
Legolas stood once again by the edge of the Stream of the Dead. The cool waters flowing with spirits was washing over his bare toes. It was a good feeling.
Eressa stood beside him, there hands entwined tightly. She looked at him as he stared curiously into the Stream.
"Thinking of going for a swim?" She asked cheerfully.
"I was…but I can't. The Stream rejected me." Legolas muttered. He looked at her and she smiled.
"Why are you so happy?" He asked for no reason except that he wanted to know.
"Why are you so unhappy?" She countered, but then frowned. "Never mind. I know why."
"Yes." Legolas agreed.
They were silent for a moment, the breeze the only sound whistling through the trees. Then Eressa spoke again:
"You should go, Legolas." She urged, looking at him and taking his arm.
"Why?"
"You know why." She replied. "It's not your time yet." She smiled. "Besides, you'll be better when you wake."
"What makes you say that?" Legolas asked.
"I just know." She said with a grin. "Now go, or you'll run out of time."
Legolas smiled at her, but didn't make a move to leave. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her warmly.
"I love you." He said softly.
Eressa embraced him. "I love you too, Legolas."
Legolas embraced her back and then stepped away. The world began to dissolve as he awoke from his dreamland.
The elf blinked as his eyes struggled to gain focus in the dark. It was very gloomy, for the moon had gone into hiding. Legolas yawned groggily, and found that he was covered in his blanket. It's warmth comforted him.
Legolas turned his head to the side, expecting to see the blank wall at the other end of his small cell. But he didn't. He saw two white arms, folded below a face, which was partially covered with flowing gold hair.
Valar…it can't be…He thought, but even as he did his hand swept away the hair of the person kneeling beside him.
It was Eressa. And she was asleep. Here. With him.
Legolas's breath caught in his throat and he blinked enough times to convince himself he wasn't just dreaming again. Eressa had really come back to him!
Legolas felt like laughing…he felt like shouting in joy and dancing until the sun came up…he felt like waking Eressa and then making love to her…but he didn't. Instead he just stared and sat still, unbelieving.
"Eressa…" He couldn't help but whisper her name…her beautiful name.
He brushed another stray strand of hair off her face, and he noticed that her skin was cold. She was shivering. Legolas immediately whipped the blanket off him and wrapped it around her sleeping form without hesitation.
He got off the bed and knelt next to his lover's small form, smiling softly. Eressa had sat on the ground and leaned onto the bed, and then fallen asleep. She'd again sacrificed her own comfort for him.
Gently, as not to wake her, Legolas picked her up off the ground and then placed her on the bed, the blanket around her. She moaned softly and shifted as he set her down, and Legolas quickly laid in the bed beside her, wanting to be close to her if she should wake.
Eressa's delicate eyelashes fluttered open and looked at him. "Legolas?" She asked.
"It is I." He said, smiling, and snaking an arm around her, pulling her close.
Eressa smiled back. She was not fully awake, and Legolas's answer seemed to satisfy her. She sighed and leaned into him, closing her eyes.
"I love you, you know." Legolas said quickly, before she fell into sleep again.
"Love you too." She yawned sleepily, her body leaning heavier against him. Then she fell asleep.
Legolas grinned widely. For once, he could tell that this was real, that he wasn't just imagining it. He felt the warmth of Eressa's body against his, felt her breathing and heartbeat against his own. He felt alive again.
Legolas Greenleaf could not have been more happy.
**************
In the morning, Legolas awoke the feeling of someone's fingers running through his hair. It took his eyes a while to focus, for the sunlight was very bright today and reflected off the walls. When he looked up he saw Eressa sitting on the bed, leaning over him, his head in her lap.
Legolas wanted to say something to her, but it wouldn't come out. All he could do was to lay there and smile stupidly. Eressa didn't care, and returned the expression softly.
"Good morning…Legolas." She added his name after a moment's pause, beginning to frown. Legolas's hand suddenly flew up to her face, cupping it.
"Don't frown, Eressa." He said. "You look so much more beautiful when you are smiling."
"As do you." Eressa replied, but her smile only returned for a moment. "I'm sorry, Legolas."
Legolas frowned also. He knew very well about what she was speaking about. She didn't have to explain it to him. "I know. You don't have to say anything else, Eressa. I want to forget it."
Eressa nodded and the frown disappeared. But a smiled did not replace it. She stared at him, her face blank. Then she said: "Call me 'melamin', Legolas."
Legolas blinked and grinned lightly. "I'll do more than that." He said, sitting up and grasping her small shoulders in his hands. He forced his mouth against hers and she signed and leaned into him.
"I love you, Legolas." Eressa said when his mouth left hers and he embraced her tightly. "I don't know why I doubted you."
"It was a mistake." Legolas urged. "Let us not speak of it again."
Eressa smiled again. The smile felt so strange on her face. It was as if she was a newborn baby, just discovering the expression for the first time in her life.
"The guards will be coming soon." Legolas observed, turning his head to see out the window with sunlight spilling through it. "It's a shame we don't have more time to ourselves, melamin." As he said this he embraced her again, his hands clutching her body and his lips softly brushing the nape of her neck.
Eressa giggled and pushed him away playfully. "There will be time for that. Tonight."
"And the next night." Legolas added with a mischievous grin. "And the next and the next…"
"Legolas!" Eressa said, hushing him with a kiss.
"Eressa." Legolas echoed. "When they come I will not be able to let go of you, much less let you leave here."
"I know, but you have to." Eressa said, both happily and sadly as she kissed the elf's shoulder. She turned her head and buried her face in Legolas's long hair, as he did the same with hers.
"By the gods…I love you so much." She whispered, mostly to herself, but Legolas heard.
"I love you as well." Legolas returned softly, inhaling her familiar scent.
Suddenly, Eressa felt an ache in her stomach begin to form and grow. "Oh…" she groaned, pulling away from Legolas's grasp. "Not again…"
Legolas drew back his head in concern. "What is it? Eressa?"
Eressa sat back and clutched her stomach with both hands. "It's nothing. My stomach has been bothering me."
"Still?" The elf asked. "You have seen a nurse, have you not?"
"I have." Answered the girl. "She gives me medicine, and it works for a few hours, but I didn't bring any with me today and…"
"Shh, melamin, shh…" Legolas hushed. He didn't want her to become upset. "Where does it hurt?"
Eressa looked at him, and then at her stomach. She reached for his hand and he gave it to her. Tenderly she placed it where she felt the most pain. "There." She said. Legolas's warm hand felt comforting on her skin.
Legolas stared at his hand on her stomach, and then at his lover. "I wish I could do something to ease you pain, Eressa." He said quietly.
Eressa smiled and covered his hand with her own, small, delicate ones. "You already are." She said. "I just hope the guards come for me before I become sick."
"Sick?" Legolas inquired.
Eressa shrugged and looked away in embarrassment. "Yes…sometimes, when the pain is very bad…I do sometimes…" Her voice trailed off.
She looked back at the elf to find him staring into nothing in thought. "It's not like this all the time, Legolas." She continued. "And I feel fine other than my stomach. There's no need to worry."
"I'll worry anyway." Legolas said blankly, focusing his eyes to glance at her.
"I know you will." She smiled.
They sat staring at each other for a moment. But then Legolas swiftly turned his head towards the door, his eyes darting. "The guards are coming." He said.
Eressa nodded and began to get up, despite her stomach pains. Legolas helped her and she gave him a look.
"Just because I'm in a little pain doesn't mean you need to treat me like a doll." She said playfully.
Legolas smiled. "I know." He said simply. He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss before the guards threw open the door.
"Goodbye, melamin." He whispered in her ear as she past him to go to the guards.
Eressa tried to hide a small smile from her escorts as she walked out of the cell.
And for once, Legolas was able to openly smile as she left.
***************Personal thing*******************
AN: Yes, it's really short and the ending is sucky. I'm sorry. I have no time anymore. I didn't have the time to write responses to reviews again, something I feel very guilty about, but I can't help it right now. Sorry.