A/N: Okay...I've decided not to put in the Council chapter. It would probably have been boring anyway. Maybe I'll write it up later.
To all of you who reviewed: Thank you! As always, your input is ALWAYS appreciated. I love you guys!
And yes...I'm starting this chapter with another description of the sky. I know its repetitive.
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Night fell over the home of the elves like a velvet curtain riddled with diamonds. Lights began to dot the city with their gold, scattered in clusters over the hillsides of Rivendell and through the silent darkness the distant strains of music could be heard.
In the spacious grass-covered courtyard, the evenings' festivities had already begun.
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Legolas stormed, fuming, out of the Council Hall with Elfannen at his heels.
"Stay here until the festival has ended?" he said in scorn. "Fah! Where is my father's wisdom that is so renown?!" The prince scowled as he stalked down a rose-hung archway, his long yellow hair tossing behind with each step. Elfannen quickened his own pace in an effort to keep up.
"Mirkwood's borders will be secured," he reminded his friend. Legolas waved this false comfort away hastily. "What is a city without its ruler? No; my father fails to recognize the danger. He has given to great of heed to that fool Glordinas - did you not hear the traitor in the Council?"
Elfannen nodded. "I did."
"Whispering in my fathers' ear like a deceiving serpent! Curse the day that he came into our company!" Legolas marched out into the middle of the same circular courtyard where he had met Arillen only a few hours previous. It was empty now with the exception of the prince and Elfannen, and was quite beautiful under the soft glow of the moonlight.
Legolas drew a deep, worried breath and exhaled into the silence.
"Mirkwood failed to be great the day that Allanduil became Steward and Glordinas Advisor," he mourned.
Elfannen nodded in mutual understanding.
"What words angered me most were those of your father when, after you had asked why we must stay in Rivendell, he replied that we are safer here," the elf commented bitterly. "If we are safer here than in our own home, what is to be concluded but that we should return there to protect it?"
"He spoke words that were not his," Legolas said after a moment. "The wisdom of his Advisor fits him ill." He spat the words out as if they were like poison to his taste, and both elves became silent in the galling truth.
A slight fog was creeping in from the waterfalls and spreading silently over Rivendell. In the distance beyond the courtyard where Legolas and Elfannen stood, the bright lights of the festival hovered gaily, and the sounds of music and laughter reached out to the attentions of the two elves.
"The festival has begun," Elfannen pointed purposely, knowing that his keen- eyed friend had noticed it long ago. Legolas glanced up at him with one raised eyebrow.
"I feel slightly in need of a drink," Elfannen continued. He peered through the darkness at the lights on the horizon. "I believe that the dancing has just begun as well."
"Dancing?" Legolas laughed. "Elfannen, you never told me that you had a fondness for that sport!"
Elfannen shook his head sagely.
"I don't...much...but we are so gloomy that perhaps a bit of folly traipsing will do us good."
Legolas laid a hand on his shoulder with a knowing look and said, "You are right; let us be off." Elfannen grinned back at him.
They raced down the hill like two wild deer, flying swiftly over the ground at speeds that would have bewildered any mortal man. Long golden hair whipped behind them and shone in the moonlight as they fled down the side of one hill. Legolas reached the bridge that spanned the cliffs between him and his destination, and crossed it before Elfannen had even neared it. The latter scowled and came tearing after him.
The festival seat hove into sight as the two elves raced each other up the side of the hill. Legolas came to a halt just outside of the Hall and surveyed the scenery carefully. In the open courtyard many of his elven kin danced in groups, laughing and reveling in their activity while others stood on the outskirts, either drinking wine, engaged in conversation, or cheering the dancers on.
Legolas turned to Elfannen as his friend came to a stop beside him.
"It seems as though the dancing has begun," he teased. Elfannen's eyes flashed.
"You go on," Legolas told his friend. "I'll linger here for a while." Elfannen threw him a searching look but the prince's face showed no unusual emotion.
"Namaarie," he said, and went confidentially in the direction of the dancing troupe leaving Legolas alone.
The latter approached the party slowly, not feeling inclined to join the fray just then. He stood in the shadows, scanning the crowds with mild interest. Elfannen, he noticed, had had little trouble in securing a partner; Legolas watched him sail gallantly out among the dancers with a dark-haired elven maiden on his arm and grinned at his antics. The elf had always enjoyed female company. Legolas himself had never disliked dancing, but now, as he lingered outside the party, he only wished to dance with a particular someone - someone who had commanded a large party of his thoughts for many days.
Arwen Undomiel.
Suddenly he saw her. She was standing among a cluster of her friends, discoursing with them in obvious gaiety. Legolas watched her dark eyes blink slowly, her mahogany colored hair curling about her face and flowing in sheaves down to her waist, her white hands clasped lightly in front of her.
Legolas's breath caught in his throat as Arwen's gaze fund him through the crowd. The world turned silent all around them it seemed, in that moment.
Then, just as suddenly as he had noticed her, she was gone. She slipped silently away from her companions, disappearing among the press. In mingled surprise, Legolas barely saw her go... but he wasn't about to be put by so easily. With one last scan of the crowd he turned and made his way around the courtyard in the direction that Arwen had taken. No one saw him as he slunk among the trees, taking cover in their leafy shade as he searched intently for the object of his desires.
Finally, away from the party in a mossy clearing, he found her. She was standing at the edge of the clearing that was furthest from him, one hand resting gently against the roughened bark of a nearby oak. Wisps of fog drifted low against the ground, beaming white and ghostlike as the moonlight reflected off of it. Arwen glowed with it, appearing in Legolas' mind as a sort of ethereal angel. He could not remember having desired anyone before like he craved her now.
"Arwen," he said, taking a step forward."
Arwen's lips trembled as she breathed out.
"Why did you come here?" she asked softly.
"I wanted to see you."
Arwen approached him slowly, and he followed suit by coming to face her at the center of the clearing. They stood there for a moment in silence, so close that their bodies nearly touched, and watched each other.
"Why did you want to see me?" the elf lady questioned softly. Legolas searched her face. "You have been haunting my dreams since the day I first spoke to you," he said. Arwen cocked her head a little to the side.
"You may think me too bold," Legolas murmured, "To speak thus." Arwen smiled and glanced modestly down at the ground. Their hands brushed gently together and with a tender movement Legolas carefully wrapped his fingers around Arwen's own. He could hear her breathing in a steady, rhythmic pattern and almost fancied that he could hear her heart beating as well. Their faces were so near that Legolas could have kissed her hair without putting much effort into it.
He leaned forward instead and nuzzled her ear a little, almost as if he were testing her reaction. Arwen lifted her face slightly, keeping it just out of contact and lingering there, determinedly refusing to give Legolas what he so desired.
"We have known each other for so little time," she whispered.
Legolas caressed her hands.
"So it does seem," he replied softly, looking into Arwen's great dark eyes. "But we've known about each other for ages."
"Then how is it that we should fall in love," Arwen gasped, "...now?"
Neither of them required an answer as their lips met in a passionate kiss. Arwen pressed her body anxiously against Legolas's muscular chest, her hands leaving his and traveling up to his neck and shoulders. In turn, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him as they embraced.
Suddenly, Arwen pulled away.
"Why are we doing this?" she asked, her low musical tone turned almost to desperation. "Soon you will be leaving for Mirkwood...and then it will end."
"My father has decided to remain in Rivendell until the close of the festival," Legolas assured her, glad for the first time since the convening of the Council that his father had made such a decision. "I will remain with him for as long as he lingers here."
But Arwen shook her head.
"After the festival, you will leave," she explained sadly. "It is an inevitable fate." Arwen turned away, her features drawn with concern. Legolas pulled her against his chest, running his hands over her shoulders and pressing soft, impulsive kisses against the nape of her neck.
"We will live forever," he reminded her. "I'm certain that somehow or another we will find time to be together." Arwen was silent. She closed her eyes and melted in his arms as he held her.
Finally a smile graced her matchless features.
"I will conquer my troubles when I encounter them," she decided, turning to face Legolas once more. "Until then, let us be happy in what we have." Legolas leaned in to kiss her and she obliged him eagerly.
The prince could not help but think that it was all a dream. It did not seem so possible to him that within days of meeting the beautiful Evenstar he now stood promising her that he would always be there for her...
He kissed her fervently, again and again, thrilled with the little shivers that he felt running down her back when he touched her. She had been right to be hesitant concerning their relationship seeing as they hadn't really known each other well, but Legolas was intent on rectifying such inequities. As long as he was in Rivendell he would do all in his power to be with her.
Suddenly, an eternity of days did not seem enough to spend with Arwen. As the two elves embraced, both felt that they could stay like that forever.
"We should return to the party," Arwen moaned between breaths and Legolas's kisses.
He touched her face gently.
"Just a few more moments."
Arwen smiled mischievously at him.
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So that was that. good or...? R & R!