2. A Life Unexplained
Legolas walked back to the palace in a daze. Never before he had been so surprised at his own daring. Questions swam through his head-it was the first time he had left his place without feeling completely relaxed. He wondered who the woman was, and who had raised her to be so bold. She seemed to know him, yet he had never even glimpsed her.
He thought about this, all trace of worry about the evil in his forest forgotten, as he walked the well-trod path to his room. Something, clearly, was on his mind, because he ran into at least three servants on the way. Once in the safety of his room, he closed the door so he would not be disturbed. No such luck was with him tonight, however, and he groaned at a knock on the door.
"Legolas? Legolas? Are you in there?" The prince recognized his best friend's(Pelin) voice instantly. He gritted his teeth, but did not send him off.
"Yes, Pelin," he called, and the elf entered with a look of concern written across his face.
"Are you all right? I could not find you, you missed dinner with our guests." At this, Legolas sat bolt upright.
"Guests? What guests?" Then he added hastily, "I should wish to apologize to them for my absence." Pelin nodded rather suspiciously.
"A man and his daughter. Their names were Asolan and." he frowned, looking down at the floor in thought. "I do not recall the girl's name. I don't think she mentioned it." Pelin blinked and looked at his friend. "Odd, don't you think?" The prince nodded.
"They were very nice, though King Thranduil made no mention of why they were here. The girl disappeared shortly after dinner. I think she may have gone to explore, but everything was intact."
"Do you know where they are?" Legolas inquired casually. His friend nodded again.
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Kalia watched the prince ride ever towards her home with increasing nervousness that morning. Was he coming here? She wondered. Why? Did he find out she had been his guest? Did-She stilled her thoughts and scolded herself. If, indeed, he was coming to her dwelling, She knew she would have to answer the door, because her father was working and not to be disturbed. She hoped she would be able to send him off quickly, before Asolan made it up from his workplace underneath their house.
A knock on the door startled her. She quickly looked down to see who it was, a hand on the window frame so as not to fall out. Yes, it was him. Seeing this, she nearly fell anyway, but somehow managed to make it down to answer the door. She opened it as thought she had no idea who could possibly be on the other side-and froze.
His gaze raked her up and down. Yes, it was her. He knew it, even though she did not look as she had the night before. He cast about for something to say, but nothing came. He had forgotten, though it had only been a few hours, how beautiful she was, as were her thoughts on him.
"How can I help you, milord?" she said finally. Relieved she had spoken, he was about to answer when footsteps on the stairs a little ways behind her could be heard, along with a deep voice.
"Who is it, dear?" a man called, and a human appeared from nearly invisible steps. His hands looked slightly dirty, a sign he was probably a blacksmith or some kind of metalworker. He nodded in greeting to the prince.
"Ah, mae govannen*," he said cheerily. "How is the prince of this fine forest on a lovely morning like this?" Legolas smiled at the man.
"I am well, sir. And you?" The man nodded.
"I heard you and your daughter?" he looked to them for confirmation. When he got it, he continued. "I heard you were guests at my home last night, and I am sorry I missed you. I was. elsewhere." He glanced at Kalia as he said this, and thought he may have detected a hint of a blush on her fair skin.
"Please, come in, do not feel like a stranger," the man asked. "I am Asolan and this is my daughter, Ka-"
"Father, you said you were busy today," Kalia interrupted quickly. Asolan slapped a hand to his forehead.
"Ah yes, I completely forgot. I beg your pardon, milord, but I must get back to my work. I hope you will still be here when I return." With that, he turned and walked down the stairs. Legolas watched him go and sighed inwardly. He had really hoped not to be left alone with Kalia, but there was no escaping it. He kept his gaze fixed on the floor ahead of him as he followed her into the kitchen. They sat across from each other at the table in silence, until she finally voiced her thoughts.
"You found me." The prince could have laughed at the way she said the words, rather surprised and a little embarrassed. He nodded slightly.
"A friend told me you had been a guest with your father at my home. I thought since I missed the meal with you, I should at least come and apologize." Then he leaned forward. "Why?" he demanded.
Kalia blinked, seeming slightly taken aback. "Why what?"
"Why did you do it?"
"I just wanted to see what it would be like." she looked down, and there was a definite blush on her face. He waited, but she said no more.
"How did you find me?" he inquired at last, when she was silent for a few minutes. She looked up again and grinned impishly.
"That was easy, I followed you. If you go around tossing rocks into rivers often, you might want to do it more quietly." Legolas smiled slightly.
"No one has found me before, and they are some of the sharpest elves I know. Speaking of which, tell me, how is it you are an elf and yet your father is human?" he asked. She glanced over her shoulder and brushed back a lock of her dark hair. She was truly beautiful, exotic and yet blending in perfectly with the thick forests.
"My parents were native to here, but my mother died soon after my birth and my father of heartache after that. Asolan was a good friend of theirs, and he was kind enough to take me in and raise me until I am trained to live alone." The prince nodded.
"I am sorry to hear about your parents. But why will you not tell me your name?" Kalia bit her lip.
"I can't," she answered quietly. "I cannot tell you my name, and I can't tell you why either so there is no point it asking. Perhaps someday you will find out, but not now." She turned her dark eyes to the floor. "You should go." They both stood up, and she escorted him to the door. Legolas swallowed-this was the part he had mainly been dreading. He was not sure if he was supposed to kiss her, or just leave... he had no idea what he was going to do. She stood by the open door and he walked out, pausing and turning back on the threshold. He looked uncertain, then glanced up at the sky, and finally shrugged and kissed her.
She had been expecting him to just leave, so she did nothing right away. After she regained control of her senses, she wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him closer and returning the response he had been hesitantly searching for. He did not keep the kiss too long, but when he pulled back and walked over to his horse he was still shaking. Determined not to let her see what an effect she had on him, he mounted and raised a hand in parting, then turned and galloped off.
Kalia leaned against the side of the door for support, returning his gesture but standing there long after. Maybe she would be able to allow someone back into her heart, after all. She touched her lips lightly, still warm from his kiss, and a grin crept into her face. She closed the door and trotted up to her room, unaware of a dark figure watching in the shadows, glowering in disapproval.
Legolas walked back to the palace in a daze. Never before he had been so surprised at his own daring. Questions swam through his head-it was the first time he had left his place without feeling completely relaxed. He wondered who the woman was, and who had raised her to be so bold. She seemed to know him, yet he had never even glimpsed her.
He thought about this, all trace of worry about the evil in his forest forgotten, as he walked the well-trod path to his room. Something, clearly, was on his mind, because he ran into at least three servants on the way. Once in the safety of his room, he closed the door so he would not be disturbed. No such luck was with him tonight, however, and he groaned at a knock on the door.
"Legolas? Legolas? Are you in there?" The prince recognized his best friend's(Pelin) voice instantly. He gritted his teeth, but did not send him off.
"Yes, Pelin," he called, and the elf entered with a look of concern written across his face.
"Are you all right? I could not find you, you missed dinner with our guests." At this, Legolas sat bolt upright.
"Guests? What guests?" Then he added hastily, "I should wish to apologize to them for my absence." Pelin nodded rather suspiciously.
"A man and his daughter. Their names were Asolan and." he frowned, looking down at the floor in thought. "I do not recall the girl's name. I don't think she mentioned it." Pelin blinked and looked at his friend. "Odd, don't you think?" The prince nodded.
"They were very nice, though King Thranduil made no mention of why they were here. The girl disappeared shortly after dinner. I think she may have gone to explore, but everything was intact."
"Do you know where they are?" Legolas inquired casually. His friend nodded again.
*********************************************************
Kalia watched the prince ride ever towards her home with increasing nervousness that morning. Was he coming here? She wondered. Why? Did he find out she had been his guest? Did-She stilled her thoughts and scolded herself. If, indeed, he was coming to her dwelling, She knew she would have to answer the door, because her father was working and not to be disturbed. She hoped she would be able to send him off quickly, before Asolan made it up from his workplace underneath their house.
A knock on the door startled her. She quickly looked down to see who it was, a hand on the window frame so as not to fall out. Yes, it was him. Seeing this, she nearly fell anyway, but somehow managed to make it down to answer the door. She opened it as thought she had no idea who could possibly be on the other side-and froze.
His gaze raked her up and down. Yes, it was her. He knew it, even though she did not look as she had the night before. He cast about for something to say, but nothing came. He had forgotten, though it had only been a few hours, how beautiful she was, as were her thoughts on him.
"How can I help you, milord?" she said finally. Relieved she had spoken, he was about to answer when footsteps on the stairs a little ways behind her could be heard, along with a deep voice.
"Who is it, dear?" a man called, and a human appeared from nearly invisible steps. His hands looked slightly dirty, a sign he was probably a blacksmith or some kind of metalworker. He nodded in greeting to the prince.
"Ah, mae govannen*," he said cheerily. "How is the prince of this fine forest on a lovely morning like this?" Legolas smiled at the man.
"I am well, sir. And you?" The man nodded.
"I heard you and your daughter?" he looked to them for confirmation. When he got it, he continued. "I heard you were guests at my home last night, and I am sorry I missed you. I was. elsewhere." He glanced at Kalia as he said this, and thought he may have detected a hint of a blush on her fair skin.
"Please, come in, do not feel like a stranger," the man asked. "I am Asolan and this is my daughter, Ka-"
"Father, you said you were busy today," Kalia interrupted quickly. Asolan slapped a hand to his forehead.
"Ah yes, I completely forgot. I beg your pardon, milord, but I must get back to my work. I hope you will still be here when I return." With that, he turned and walked down the stairs. Legolas watched him go and sighed inwardly. He had really hoped not to be left alone with Kalia, but there was no escaping it. He kept his gaze fixed on the floor ahead of him as he followed her into the kitchen. They sat across from each other at the table in silence, until she finally voiced her thoughts.
"You found me." The prince could have laughed at the way she said the words, rather surprised and a little embarrassed. He nodded slightly.
"A friend told me you had been a guest with your father at my home. I thought since I missed the meal with you, I should at least come and apologize." Then he leaned forward. "Why?" he demanded.
Kalia blinked, seeming slightly taken aback. "Why what?"
"Why did you do it?"
"I just wanted to see what it would be like." she looked down, and there was a definite blush on her face. He waited, but she said no more.
"How did you find me?" he inquired at last, when she was silent for a few minutes. She looked up again and grinned impishly.
"That was easy, I followed you. If you go around tossing rocks into rivers often, you might want to do it more quietly." Legolas smiled slightly.
"No one has found me before, and they are some of the sharpest elves I know. Speaking of which, tell me, how is it you are an elf and yet your father is human?" he asked. She glanced over her shoulder and brushed back a lock of her dark hair. She was truly beautiful, exotic and yet blending in perfectly with the thick forests.
"My parents were native to here, but my mother died soon after my birth and my father of heartache after that. Asolan was a good friend of theirs, and he was kind enough to take me in and raise me until I am trained to live alone." The prince nodded.
"I am sorry to hear about your parents. But why will you not tell me your name?" Kalia bit her lip.
"I can't," she answered quietly. "I cannot tell you my name, and I can't tell you why either so there is no point it asking. Perhaps someday you will find out, but not now." She turned her dark eyes to the floor. "You should go." They both stood up, and she escorted him to the door. Legolas swallowed-this was the part he had mainly been dreading. He was not sure if he was supposed to kiss her, or just leave... he had no idea what he was going to do. She stood by the open door and he walked out, pausing and turning back on the threshold. He looked uncertain, then glanced up at the sky, and finally shrugged and kissed her.
She had been expecting him to just leave, so she did nothing right away. After she regained control of her senses, she wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him closer and returning the response he had been hesitantly searching for. He did not keep the kiss too long, but when he pulled back and walked over to his horse he was still shaking. Determined not to let her see what an effect she had on him, he mounted and raised a hand in parting, then turned and galloped off.
Kalia leaned against the side of the door for support, returning his gesture but standing there long after. Maybe she would be able to allow someone back into her heart, after all. She touched her lips lightly, still warm from his kiss, and a grin crept into her face. She closed the door and trotted up to her room, unaware of a dark figure watching in the shadows, glowering in disapproval.