Okay…it's the long-awaited answer to the question everyone's been asking: What is Elwyn's secret? Well, here's your explanation, but I doubt you guys'll like it…*cringes*

Elwyn

I watched nervously as he entered the room I had been brought to.

He was silent, his expression stern-more so than usual. From this I gathered that he had been told, though I wasn't sure by whom; the healers or one of my parents.

He slowly sat on the side of the bed I lay in, placing his elbows on his knees and running a hand over his face, sighing. The silence that followed was almost unbearable, stretching on for what seemed like an eternity. Finally he spoke-quietly but clearly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I suddenly found myself unable to look at him. I bowed my head, focusing on the pattern of the intricate quilt that covered me. "I couldn't," I eventually managed.

"Is this why you keep insisting that I sail?" he asked, almost harshly and I winced.

"Legolas-"

"Didn't you think I deserved to know?" he yelled. It was the first time I had seen him truly angry, and certainly the first time his anger had been directed at me.

"I was going to tell you!" I shouted back, shifting to where I sat up more. "At first I…well, I wasn't planning to get so close to you. I certainly wasn't planning to fall in love with you." His expression softened momentarily at this, but quickly grew cold again. I continued regardless. "Ever since I did, I've been trying to work out the right way to tell you."

"How could it have taken you so long? And to have to find out from Aragorn!" He stood and crossed to the open windows, staring outside.

"Well, I wasn't planning on my father being the one to reveal all. You're right," I conceded. "I should have told you. And I probably should have done it sooner." He offered no reply. "But nothing has changed. Things…" I hesitated, trying to think how to word what I wanted to say, "our situation is the same as it always was."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, turning round to face me again. I could tell he was incredibly frustrated, though whether it was with me or the situation, I couldn't tell. "Everything has changed!" he insisted. "You're going to die!"

I stared at him for a long moment and then shook my head. "No," I contradicted. "I'm going to live." There was an audible pause. "Just not as long as you."

* * * * *

*waits to be pelted with rocks by readers*

Sorry everyone, I was planning this from the beginning and it was only after I had it all worked out (and mostly written) that everyone requested that they both live.