A/N: I can't believe it! This story is almost over already. . . It seems
like I just barely began to write it. By the way, be prepared to wait a
little while for chapter 20, since this one and that one are going to be
long. Well, compared to the other chapters, anyway-that's why I took so
long to update. And even though this chapter is called 'Sweet ENDINGS',
remember that I'm finishing this story next chapter. Alright, on with the
show!! P.S. I'm not going to post what the letter in this chapter said
since it's irrelevant to the story, but if you want to know just drop me an
email!
Disclaimer: Pixisticks: sway Muse: looks up from filing nails What's wrong with you? Pixisticks: Fangirls. . . Lynch objects. . . YOUR fault. Muse: haughty look My fault that all the people belonging to Tolkien Enterprises just HAPPENED to be found in MY closet? Pixisticks: dull look
19. Sweet Endings.
The next few days were wonderful for Kalia. The moment Legolas had settled her into his room, he'd fussed over her, amusing her quite a bit. He insisted upon sleeping on the chaise lounge, giving up his bed for her and telling her that he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of her if they shared it. He kept her in the room all day, coming in whenever he possibly could, bringing her whatever she needed or wanted. The woman couldn't remember anyone ever being so attentive over her, and loved it.
But even though the prince granted her whatever her heart desired, Kalia had never been more restless in her life. By the third day, she had taken to pacing the room, sometimes even practicing her battle skills with imaginary enemies for lack of something better to do. Of course, she knew better than to perform any of the rolling dodges or moves that could endanger her child-the nurse, whom she had decided would be Anaeli, had strictly forbidden that. The two women had, as Anaeli predicted, become good friends. The human had even helped Kalia sneak out of the room for a walk once or twice, but it wasn't enough.
Then there was Tokilor. He hadn't come for her yet, and though Legolas assumed it was because he thought he would be killed on the border, the Tuathe woman knew otherwise. He was planning something. . . But what? Her mind was on this particular subject as her blade glided smoothly through the air. Luckily for her, when women of her race became pregnant, they had their children within a few weeks-a month at the latest-and didn't change much in size. She was still able to swing her sword easily, and had also been practicing the many other skills she'd needed for survival in the past: Stealth, cunning, and the use of many other, more discreet weapons that had found their way into her life.
Kalia sighed. If the human didn't show up soon, she would have to take matters into her own hands unless some other plan came up. She didn't want to fight anymore. After seeing this life, one where she did not have to be afraid of getting hurt or abandoned, the woman wanted it more than anything else. She craved peace, not only from Tokilor but from her painful past. She felt with a certainty that if all of this was over, she would be able to will the horrible images from her mind, and hopefully keep only the good memories. A thought that held some doubt, but hope that at least kept her from going mad upon her confinement.
The Tuathe female didn't even look up as Legolas slipped into the room and watched her. He knew something was bothering her, and even through all his efforts to banish it, the feeling that she was unhappy remained. He had given her everything she wanted, but he knew gifts weren't going to get anywhere. So he had focused as much attention as he possibly could with her, only refusing to let her out of his room. The elf didn't want anyone else knowing she was here, especially with the doubts he had found others had about her. A few of his other friends, when he told them the same things he did Pelin, all said they worried for him about her.
He could have throttled them in frustration. Didn't they think he could take care of himself? Not that he would ever need to, in Kalia's case. She would never hurt him. Why couldn't they see that? 'They aren't in love with her,' The prince reminded himself, following her movements with his eyes. He stood in the shadows by the door, watching her. 'They don't know her the way I do.' He sucked in a breath as she spun around, and the cold steel rested lightly above his heart. Kalia grinned.
"Hello there." Legolas laughed, shoving the blade aside and sitting down on the bed as she sheathed the weapon.
"Are you sure you should be practicing right now? Is it safe?" He asked as she sat beside him and smiled.
"Of course it is. It's not like I'm jumping out the window. . . And you can stop worrying. I'm not dying, you know," she pointed out. Legolas leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I know. I can't help it." He smiled at her, and she wondered how he could make her melt with such a simple action. Kalia absently traced small circles on his hand, pondering how to bring up the subject of Tokilor as she gazed out the window. It was only the prince's soft voice calling her name in concern that made her speak.
"Have you heard anything on him?" She asked quietly, not needing to specify. The elf's smile faded, and his gaze dropped to the floor.
"No," he mumbled, not really caring to speak of the human. "He hasn't come yet. Most are beginning to think he won't come at all." Everyone who had known about Tokilor had been told Legolas was keeping Kalia somewhere safe, and that she would be used as the lure- except Pelin, since the prince was still annoyed with him. The man's death would be very discreet- they didn't want an unknown force slipping past their borders and killing them in their sleep because of it.
Gently, the Tuathe female raised his head. "He will come, if I have to send out a messenger to him." This was greeted with such a vehement "NO!" that she jumped.
"You won't tell him where you are," Legolas said sharply. "I don't want you to go anywhere near him." Kalia shook her head.
"But-"
"No!" She flinched again and sighed, defeated. Sensing he had won the small battle, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms securely around her. "If you want, I'll send someone out to try and persuade him to come," he amended finally, after a long silence had fallen. When there was no answer, the elf looked down, and saw the woman had fallen asleep, now dreaming peacefully. Legolas smiled and gently eased away from her, laying her head down on the pillow. He knew he wouldn't wake her-she had slipped into her dreams while he held her like this before, and she had been dead to the world upon entering them.
Easing her out of her armor and into a nightdress, the prince covered her with a blanket and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. As much as he wanted to stay and watch her sleep, Legolas knew he couldn't do so. He would have to do as he told her, whether she heard him or not, and get Tokilor to come before the man sent an army after them. So, as quietly as he entered, the elf left Kalia slumbering peacefully and went to write a letter.
It didn't take long for the words to come. Legolas had known it would probably come to this; he hadn't expected the man to burst in the moment he found Kalia missing, but after the first few days had passed without Tokilor sauntering in, he'd known some urging would be needed. When he finished, he read over his work a few times, then sealed the letter and sent it out. Then there was nothing else to do but wait.
Kalia woke with a wrenching feeling that something was very wrong. She sat bolt upright and cried out, falling back onto the bed with a hand covering her eyes. Twice she had done that-unaware of the time, she would sit up and be blinded by a stream of sunlight. Once her vision was clear of black spots, she cautiously sat up again and looked around.
She noticed instantly that she was alone. This slightly increased her worry. Carefully, the woman slid out of the bed and realized she was wearing nightclothes instead of her armor. Since this was not the first time she had awoken like this, her guess would be that Legolas had something to do with it. At the moment, however, her sudden change of clothing did not concern her. She threw on her armor, glad it was leather instead of the loud metal that humans seemed so fond of. After a moment's thought, a few small weapons found their way into hidden places. Satisfied, the Tuathe slipped out of the room. Kalia glanced around, making sure the hallway was clear, and crept away.
It wasn't long before she heard voices. Not bothering to identify them, she sidled into the room and found a nice, dark corner where she could watch without fear of being discovered. Once the woman had settled herself comfortably in her hiding place, she looked at the two people speaking and stiffened.
Tokilor was standing casually in the middle of the room, face to face with Legolas. Kalia was pleased to see he hadn't harmed her husband. That was why she had felt something was terribly amiss- her instinct knew that danger was close by, and was just alerting her to it. The woman had figured as much. It was a moment before she realized they were discussing her.
"I'm impressed she managed to sneak out of there," Tokilor was saying casually, as though having a normal conversation with a friend. "The girl has more gall than I give her credit for. But I do find it odd that you would be willing to trade her just so that I will leave your people alone."
"Please," Legolas replied. "You make it seem as though I care for her." This struck a nerve in Kalia, and she had half a mind to shoot him with a dart just because he'd annoyed her. Tokilor didn't seem to believe him either.
"I was under the impression you were quite taken with her."
"No, I just said that because it was the only way to get her to come here," the prince told him. He sincerely hoped that this stupid human would agree to follow him, so he could go through with his plan. If everything went right, the man would have three arrows in his back and the elf would be congratulating three of his wall archers. But he still had to get him out, so Legolas waited apprehensively.
"Alright," Tokilor agreed finally, and the prince smiled.
"Follow me," he said, starting forward. However, he had no sooner reached the doorway than he heard a soft whooshing sound and a heavy thud. Spinning around, he saw the human sprawled on the floor with a red dart protruding from his neck. A red dart meant instant death, and in some situations it was the best thing that one could wish for-being shot with a red dart meant instant release from the world, in a painless way. So someone either wished to grant Tokilor peace, or simply wanted him gone. Legolas guessed the latter and shook his head, with a good idea of who had done it.
The prince returned to his room to find Kalia standing near the bed. Seeing him, she smiled sheepishly, which confirmed that she'd been the one to do it. He shook his head, closing the door and moving forward. It was a moment before either of them spoke.
"I told you not to go near him," Legolas said with a sigh, dropping into a chair.
"I didn't," Kalia defended herself. "I was on the opposite side of the room, thank you."
"Kalia!"
"What? At least I didn't decide to shoot you with that dart." He groaned.
"You are insufferable," he muttered. The woman replied with an innocent look, falling easily into his lap.
"You'll get used to me," she assured him, smiling.
"I don't know if I want to." Her look turned into one of indignation.
"Just for that-" she moved to stand, but he held her down. The woman began to struggle, but it was only playfully.
"Sweet Eru! Don't squirm so much, Kalia!" He said suddenly, with a sharp intake of breath. She stilled and blushed.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" He sighed, settling her in a different spot. "It's nothing that you wouldn't take care of, if you could."
"Legolas!" He grinned at her, planting a kiss on her temple.
"I'm sorry. That was rather blunt. But then, I never can think clearly with you so close, and some things never change." She laughed.
"I love you, Legolas."
A/N: You all better review, seeing as how many I get depends on how good the last chapter is going to be!
Disclaimer: Pixisticks: sway Muse: looks up from filing nails What's wrong with you? Pixisticks: Fangirls. . . Lynch objects. . . YOUR fault. Muse: haughty look My fault that all the people belonging to Tolkien Enterprises just HAPPENED to be found in MY closet? Pixisticks: dull look
19. Sweet Endings.
The next few days were wonderful for Kalia. The moment Legolas had settled her into his room, he'd fussed over her, amusing her quite a bit. He insisted upon sleeping on the chaise lounge, giving up his bed for her and telling her that he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of her if they shared it. He kept her in the room all day, coming in whenever he possibly could, bringing her whatever she needed or wanted. The woman couldn't remember anyone ever being so attentive over her, and loved it.
But even though the prince granted her whatever her heart desired, Kalia had never been more restless in her life. By the third day, she had taken to pacing the room, sometimes even practicing her battle skills with imaginary enemies for lack of something better to do. Of course, she knew better than to perform any of the rolling dodges or moves that could endanger her child-the nurse, whom she had decided would be Anaeli, had strictly forbidden that. The two women had, as Anaeli predicted, become good friends. The human had even helped Kalia sneak out of the room for a walk once or twice, but it wasn't enough.
Then there was Tokilor. He hadn't come for her yet, and though Legolas assumed it was because he thought he would be killed on the border, the Tuathe woman knew otherwise. He was planning something. . . But what? Her mind was on this particular subject as her blade glided smoothly through the air. Luckily for her, when women of her race became pregnant, they had their children within a few weeks-a month at the latest-and didn't change much in size. She was still able to swing her sword easily, and had also been practicing the many other skills she'd needed for survival in the past: Stealth, cunning, and the use of many other, more discreet weapons that had found their way into her life.
Kalia sighed. If the human didn't show up soon, she would have to take matters into her own hands unless some other plan came up. She didn't want to fight anymore. After seeing this life, one where she did not have to be afraid of getting hurt or abandoned, the woman wanted it more than anything else. She craved peace, not only from Tokilor but from her painful past. She felt with a certainty that if all of this was over, she would be able to will the horrible images from her mind, and hopefully keep only the good memories. A thought that held some doubt, but hope that at least kept her from going mad upon her confinement.
The Tuathe female didn't even look up as Legolas slipped into the room and watched her. He knew something was bothering her, and even through all his efforts to banish it, the feeling that she was unhappy remained. He had given her everything she wanted, but he knew gifts weren't going to get anywhere. So he had focused as much attention as he possibly could with her, only refusing to let her out of his room. The elf didn't want anyone else knowing she was here, especially with the doubts he had found others had about her. A few of his other friends, when he told them the same things he did Pelin, all said they worried for him about her.
He could have throttled them in frustration. Didn't they think he could take care of himself? Not that he would ever need to, in Kalia's case. She would never hurt him. Why couldn't they see that? 'They aren't in love with her,' The prince reminded himself, following her movements with his eyes. He stood in the shadows by the door, watching her. 'They don't know her the way I do.' He sucked in a breath as she spun around, and the cold steel rested lightly above his heart. Kalia grinned.
"Hello there." Legolas laughed, shoving the blade aside and sitting down on the bed as she sheathed the weapon.
"Are you sure you should be practicing right now? Is it safe?" He asked as she sat beside him and smiled.
"Of course it is. It's not like I'm jumping out the window. . . And you can stop worrying. I'm not dying, you know," she pointed out. Legolas leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I know. I can't help it." He smiled at her, and she wondered how he could make her melt with such a simple action. Kalia absently traced small circles on his hand, pondering how to bring up the subject of Tokilor as she gazed out the window. It was only the prince's soft voice calling her name in concern that made her speak.
"Have you heard anything on him?" She asked quietly, not needing to specify. The elf's smile faded, and his gaze dropped to the floor.
"No," he mumbled, not really caring to speak of the human. "He hasn't come yet. Most are beginning to think he won't come at all." Everyone who had known about Tokilor had been told Legolas was keeping Kalia somewhere safe, and that she would be used as the lure- except Pelin, since the prince was still annoyed with him. The man's death would be very discreet- they didn't want an unknown force slipping past their borders and killing them in their sleep because of it.
Gently, the Tuathe female raised his head. "He will come, if I have to send out a messenger to him." This was greeted with such a vehement "NO!" that she jumped.
"You won't tell him where you are," Legolas said sharply. "I don't want you to go anywhere near him." Kalia shook her head.
"But-"
"No!" She flinched again and sighed, defeated. Sensing he had won the small battle, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms securely around her. "If you want, I'll send someone out to try and persuade him to come," he amended finally, after a long silence had fallen. When there was no answer, the elf looked down, and saw the woman had fallen asleep, now dreaming peacefully. Legolas smiled and gently eased away from her, laying her head down on the pillow. He knew he wouldn't wake her-she had slipped into her dreams while he held her like this before, and she had been dead to the world upon entering them.
Easing her out of her armor and into a nightdress, the prince covered her with a blanket and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. As much as he wanted to stay and watch her sleep, Legolas knew he couldn't do so. He would have to do as he told her, whether she heard him or not, and get Tokilor to come before the man sent an army after them. So, as quietly as he entered, the elf left Kalia slumbering peacefully and went to write a letter.
It didn't take long for the words to come. Legolas had known it would probably come to this; he hadn't expected the man to burst in the moment he found Kalia missing, but after the first few days had passed without Tokilor sauntering in, he'd known some urging would be needed. When he finished, he read over his work a few times, then sealed the letter and sent it out. Then there was nothing else to do but wait.
Kalia woke with a wrenching feeling that something was very wrong. She sat bolt upright and cried out, falling back onto the bed with a hand covering her eyes. Twice she had done that-unaware of the time, she would sit up and be blinded by a stream of sunlight. Once her vision was clear of black spots, she cautiously sat up again and looked around.
She noticed instantly that she was alone. This slightly increased her worry. Carefully, the woman slid out of the bed and realized she was wearing nightclothes instead of her armor. Since this was not the first time she had awoken like this, her guess would be that Legolas had something to do with it. At the moment, however, her sudden change of clothing did not concern her. She threw on her armor, glad it was leather instead of the loud metal that humans seemed so fond of. After a moment's thought, a few small weapons found their way into hidden places. Satisfied, the Tuathe slipped out of the room. Kalia glanced around, making sure the hallway was clear, and crept away.
It wasn't long before she heard voices. Not bothering to identify them, she sidled into the room and found a nice, dark corner where she could watch without fear of being discovered. Once the woman had settled herself comfortably in her hiding place, she looked at the two people speaking and stiffened.
Tokilor was standing casually in the middle of the room, face to face with Legolas. Kalia was pleased to see he hadn't harmed her husband. That was why she had felt something was terribly amiss- her instinct knew that danger was close by, and was just alerting her to it. The woman had figured as much. It was a moment before she realized they were discussing her.
"I'm impressed she managed to sneak out of there," Tokilor was saying casually, as though having a normal conversation with a friend. "The girl has more gall than I give her credit for. But I do find it odd that you would be willing to trade her just so that I will leave your people alone."
"Please," Legolas replied. "You make it seem as though I care for her." This struck a nerve in Kalia, and she had half a mind to shoot him with a dart just because he'd annoyed her. Tokilor didn't seem to believe him either.
"I was under the impression you were quite taken with her."
"No, I just said that because it was the only way to get her to come here," the prince told him. He sincerely hoped that this stupid human would agree to follow him, so he could go through with his plan. If everything went right, the man would have three arrows in his back and the elf would be congratulating three of his wall archers. But he still had to get him out, so Legolas waited apprehensively.
"Alright," Tokilor agreed finally, and the prince smiled.
"Follow me," he said, starting forward. However, he had no sooner reached the doorway than he heard a soft whooshing sound and a heavy thud. Spinning around, he saw the human sprawled on the floor with a red dart protruding from his neck. A red dart meant instant death, and in some situations it was the best thing that one could wish for-being shot with a red dart meant instant release from the world, in a painless way. So someone either wished to grant Tokilor peace, or simply wanted him gone. Legolas guessed the latter and shook his head, with a good idea of who had done it.
The prince returned to his room to find Kalia standing near the bed. Seeing him, she smiled sheepishly, which confirmed that she'd been the one to do it. He shook his head, closing the door and moving forward. It was a moment before either of them spoke.
"I told you not to go near him," Legolas said with a sigh, dropping into a chair.
"I didn't," Kalia defended herself. "I was on the opposite side of the room, thank you."
"Kalia!"
"What? At least I didn't decide to shoot you with that dart." He groaned.
"You are insufferable," he muttered. The woman replied with an innocent look, falling easily into his lap.
"You'll get used to me," she assured him, smiling.
"I don't know if I want to." Her look turned into one of indignation.
"Just for that-" she moved to stand, but he held her down. The woman began to struggle, but it was only playfully.
"Sweet Eru! Don't squirm so much, Kalia!" He said suddenly, with a sharp intake of breath. She stilled and blushed.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" He sighed, settling her in a different spot. "It's nothing that you wouldn't take care of, if you could."
"Legolas!" He grinned at her, planting a kiss on her temple.
"I'm sorry. That was rather blunt. But then, I never can think clearly with you so close, and some things never change." She laughed.
"I love you, Legolas."
A/N: You all better review, seeing as how many I get depends on how good the last chapter is going to be!