Disclaimer: Me again, just one note to tell you...For those of you who, like
my bestest buddy Nikhila, don't like reading extremely romantic, somewhat
gross if you're immature, or possibly disturbing stuff, I will make an
author's note telling you what you don't want to read. If you feel the need
to read it anyway, which I figure my bestest buddy will do anyway, then
don't say I didn't warn you! DUN DUN DUN....
Chapter Thirteen: A Loss of Morals
In an instant, her heart betrayed her. "I was afraid of falling in love with you."
All was quiet again for a minute or two before Legolas pulled her into a comforting embrace. Gently he shook her back and forth as a mother would to calm a screaming baby. Finally the tears stopped and her head rested peacefully on his chest.
"I knew that if I fell in love with you, it would make going back all the more painful. I wanted everything to be easy. But when you were mad at me, I realized there was no denying it. I was in love, and there was nothing I could say or do to stop it. I love you, Legolas, like I've never loved anyone else before. But as long as I have a home to return to, that is where my path leads me."
"What's back there for you?!" Legolas cried suddenly. "A father who abuses you to no end?! Who convinces you it is your fault your mother is dead?! Friends who spy on you?! A life of longing, knowing you've found love and lost it?!"
"Legolas, please don't make this any harder than it already is!" Aliana yelled. "I've made my choice!"
"Don't make this hard for you?! What about me?! I love you more than anything, and here I stand, helpless, as you leave! Never to return! Don't you think this is hard for me?! You can be so selfish sometimes!"
"I'm selfish?! So, you want me to stay here with you, deprive me of everything I hold dear, just so YOU can be happy?!"
The two elves took a simultaneous deep breath and glanced at each other. All of a sudden they were in each other's arms, Aliana's lips pressed firmly against his. The tenseness in the air was enough to cause them to do this, but there was something more. A passion, a longing, a lust that had been between them for so long.
(AN: OK, this is the part you might not want to read if you don't like romance... It's not horribly bad, but some people might say that... If you really want to, just pretend you're Aliana and it's you tonguing Legolas! Worked for me!)
Aliana put her arms around Legolas's neck and closed her eyes. He put his around her upper body, but found them slowly slipping to her waist. His tongue traced her lips and she opened them slightly, letting out a soft moan.
Aliana leaned up against a tree behind her and made to untie the back of his tunic. It slipped down to the ground, leaving him with not but his leggings. Legolas pulled down the sleeves of Aliana's dress and quickly glanced up at her.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he questioned. "It will make your going home all the more harder for the both of us."
She grinned, somewhat mischievously, yet her face was calm and resolute. "Yes, I'm sure. Right now, all I can think about is us, right here, this second. I may regret it later, but I've done a lot of things I wish I could take back and one more thing isn't likely to make a whole lot of difference."
Legolas just shrugged.
Aliana hastily slipped out of her dress, Legolas, his leggings. She threw her arms around Legolas and kissed him, causing him to fall to the ground. Neither of them seemed to notice, as their lips never separated.
Minutes later, Aliana pulled away, gasping for breath. Legolas brushed a loose strand of hair from his face and pulled her back down on top of him. He ran his fingers through her hair, feeling the cool, wet softness against his skin.
For the rest of the night they lay like this. Dishonorable though it was, Legolas could not help but enjoy sensation of sleeping with her. He knew, come morning, it would all be over, but nothing could abolish his need for her right now.
It was early morning when a voice awoke them. Not the voice of someone they could see before them, but familiar just the same. The two of them sat up and looked around, wondering if it had just been their mind playing tricks on them.
It came again and they knew it was real. "Rina and Ben have left for Isengard. They will have reached the forest's edge by now."
Aliana sat up immediately. "We should get going," she said absently.
"Yes," he agreed in a far off voice.
Neither elf would look the other in the eye-both still in a state of shock after last night. Without a word they made their way back to the heart of the Wood. Maleena was there waiting, as were quite a few others who had gathered to see them off.
News must have spread of our departure, thought Legolas. I wonder if any other news has reached their ears. I'm sure Lady Galadriel knows of it. But perhaps she hasn't told them. Perhaps she decided to spare us the shame.
He would have been right in thinking for not a soul knew of their night in the wilderness-save Galadriel. She had indeed thought it wise to spread the news. She knew it would just cause more trouble for the young Prince.
"Why are you leaving us so soon after the Festival?" Maleena asked Aliana.
Aliana was silent. "We have urgent business in Isengard," Legolas explained in her stead. "We must speak with Gandalf the White as soon as possible. Though it is with great sorrow that we leave you. Maleena, you have been most hospitable and I wish to repay you in someway."
"Take me with you," she said.
"What?" Legolas was completely taken aback.
"I've always wanted to leave these Woods. To travel around the world and see new things! Oh, what I wouldn't give to see Rivendell! To walk in the grass fields of Hobbiton! To feel the snow upon my face along the Misty Mountains!"
"Maleena, I-"
"Oh, please let me go with you, Legolas! I won't be a bother! And it would do you all well having a healer along-seeing the trouble you get into."
Aliana clasped her friend on the shoulder. "Why of course you can come along! It will be much more fun to have you along rather than boring old Legolas!"
Legolas put out his hand in protest as the girl's walked off to the stables, but Aliana purposely ignored him. They laughed and joked while Legolas trudged grumpily behind-still not sure this was a good idea.
Aliana was very happy to see Rauros again. She stroked his long mane and fed him a handful of oats before saddling him up and joining Legolas and Maleena outside-both their horses saddled and ready to go. Legolas had borrowed a horse-having sent his back to Mirkwood-and Maleena brought her own so they all traveled separately.
The Lord and Lady had sent them with provisions for their packs, warm blankets, and extra clothes for the cold days to come. After a brief thank- you and Celeborn's advice on which direction to travel, they were on their way.
Maleena and Aliana chatted happily in front while Legolas strayed behind-his head hung down low and his mind racing with questions. Where had Rina and Ben gone? Would Gandalf even be able to help Aliana get back home? What was Ivellios plotting next? What would his father say if he ever found out what he and Aliana had done?
"Why so glum, my lord?" That voice. Her voice. The voice of the one he loved. The voice that would soon be leaving him. The voice he would never hear again. That voice delivered him from his thoughts.
"Why did you call me that?"
Her happy-go-lucky manor seemed to disappear in seconds. Her eyes darted around quickly, as if searching for the right words to answer him. She bit at her lip nervously and refused to look back at Legolas.
Why had she called him that? Like he had said, they were on friendlier terms. So wouldn't that mean she could call him Legolas? She hadn't meant to say 'my lord'. Or had she? What was going on? She was so confused by her own emotions!
After a minute or so of arguing with herself, Aliana replied. "I don't know. I guess it just kind of came out that way. Force of habit, ya know?"
"Of course..." Legolas mused as if he'd known it all along.
Maleena watched them from ahead. She could sense the tenseness between them and the turmoil that lay deep within their souls. She could not yet understand why it was so hard for them to be together, but soon she would begin to understand.
Chapter Thirteen: A Loss of Morals
In an instant, her heart betrayed her. "I was afraid of falling in love with you."
All was quiet again for a minute or two before Legolas pulled her into a comforting embrace. Gently he shook her back and forth as a mother would to calm a screaming baby. Finally the tears stopped and her head rested peacefully on his chest.
"I knew that if I fell in love with you, it would make going back all the more painful. I wanted everything to be easy. But when you were mad at me, I realized there was no denying it. I was in love, and there was nothing I could say or do to stop it. I love you, Legolas, like I've never loved anyone else before. But as long as I have a home to return to, that is where my path leads me."
"What's back there for you?!" Legolas cried suddenly. "A father who abuses you to no end?! Who convinces you it is your fault your mother is dead?! Friends who spy on you?! A life of longing, knowing you've found love and lost it?!"
"Legolas, please don't make this any harder than it already is!" Aliana yelled. "I've made my choice!"
"Don't make this hard for you?! What about me?! I love you more than anything, and here I stand, helpless, as you leave! Never to return! Don't you think this is hard for me?! You can be so selfish sometimes!"
"I'm selfish?! So, you want me to stay here with you, deprive me of everything I hold dear, just so YOU can be happy?!"
The two elves took a simultaneous deep breath and glanced at each other. All of a sudden they were in each other's arms, Aliana's lips pressed firmly against his. The tenseness in the air was enough to cause them to do this, but there was something more. A passion, a longing, a lust that had been between them for so long.
(AN: OK, this is the part you might not want to read if you don't like romance... It's not horribly bad, but some people might say that... If you really want to, just pretend you're Aliana and it's you tonguing Legolas! Worked for me!)
Aliana put her arms around Legolas's neck and closed her eyes. He put his around her upper body, but found them slowly slipping to her waist. His tongue traced her lips and she opened them slightly, letting out a soft moan.
Aliana leaned up against a tree behind her and made to untie the back of his tunic. It slipped down to the ground, leaving him with not but his leggings. Legolas pulled down the sleeves of Aliana's dress and quickly glanced up at her.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he questioned. "It will make your going home all the more harder for the both of us."
She grinned, somewhat mischievously, yet her face was calm and resolute. "Yes, I'm sure. Right now, all I can think about is us, right here, this second. I may regret it later, but I've done a lot of things I wish I could take back and one more thing isn't likely to make a whole lot of difference."
Legolas just shrugged.
Aliana hastily slipped out of her dress, Legolas, his leggings. She threw her arms around Legolas and kissed him, causing him to fall to the ground. Neither of them seemed to notice, as their lips never separated.
Minutes later, Aliana pulled away, gasping for breath. Legolas brushed a loose strand of hair from his face and pulled her back down on top of him. He ran his fingers through her hair, feeling the cool, wet softness against his skin.
For the rest of the night they lay like this. Dishonorable though it was, Legolas could not help but enjoy sensation of sleeping with her. He knew, come morning, it would all be over, but nothing could abolish his need for her right now.
It was early morning when a voice awoke them. Not the voice of someone they could see before them, but familiar just the same. The two of them sat up and looked around, wondering if it had just been their mind playing tricks on them.
It came again and they knew it was real. "Rina and Ben have left for Isengard. They will have reached the forest's edge by now."
Aliana sat up immediately. "We should get going," she said absently.
"Yes," he agreed in a far off voice.
Neither elf would look the other in the eye-both still in a state of shock after last night. Without a word they made their way back to the heart of the Wood. Maleena was there waiting, as were quite a few others who had gathered to see them off.
News must have spread of our departure, thought Legolas. I wonder if any other news has reached their ears. I'm sure Lady Galadriel knows of it. But perhaps she hasn't told them. Perhaps she decided to spare us the shame.
He would have been right in thinking for not a soul knew of their night in the wilderness-save Galadriel. She had indeed thought it wise to spread the news. She knew it would just cause more trouble for the young Prince.
"Why are you leaving us so soon after the Festival?" Maleena asked Aliana.
Aliana was silent. "We have urgent business in Isengard," Legolas explained in her stead. "We must speak with Gandalf the White as soon as possible. Though it is with great sorrow that we leave you. Maleena, you have been most hospitable and I wish to repay you in someway."
"Take me with you," she said.
"What?" Legolas was completely taken aback.
"I've always wanted to leave these Woods. To travel around the world and see new things! Oh, what I wouldn't give to see Rivendell! To walk in the grass fields of Hobbiton! To feel the snow upon my face along the Misty Mountains!"
"Maleena, I-"
"Oh, please let me go with you, Legolas! I won't be a bother! And it would do you all well having a healer along-seeing the trouble you get into."
Aliana clasped her friend on the shoulder. "Why of course you can come along! It will be much more fun to have you along rather than boring old Legolas!"
Legolas put out his hand in protest as the girl's walked off to the stables, but Aliana purposely ignored him. They laughed and joked while Legolas trudged grumpily behind-still not sure this was a good idea.
Aliana was very happy to see Rauros again. She stroked his long mane and fed him a handful of oats before saddling him up and joining Legolas and Maleena outside-both their horses saddled and ready to go. Legolas had borrowed a horse-having sent his back to Mirkwood-and Maleena brought her own so they all traveled separately.
The Lord and Lady had sent them with provisions for their packs, warm blankets, and extra clothes for the cold days to come. After a brief thank- you and Celeborn's advice on which direction to travel, they were on their way.
Maleena and Aliana chatted happily in front while Legolas strayed behind-his head hung down low and his mind racing with questions. Where had Rina and Ben gone? Would Gandalf even be able to help Aliana get back home? What was Ivellios plotting next? What would his father say if he ever found out what he and Aliana had done?
"Why so glum, my lord?" That voice. Her voice. The voice of the one he loved. The voice that would soon be leaving him. The voice he would never hear again. That voice delivered him from his thoughts.
"Why did you call me that?"
Her happy-go-lucky manor seemed to disappear in seconds. Her eyes darted around quickly, as if searching for the right words to answer him. She bit at her lip nervously and refused to look back at Legolas.
Why had she called him that? Like he had said, they were on friendlier terms. So wouldn't that mean she could call him Legolas? She hadn't meant to say 'my lord'. Or had she? What was going on? She was so confused by her own emotions!
After a minute or so of arguing with herself, Aliana replied. "I don't know. I guess it just kind of came out that way. Force of habit, ya know?"
"Of course..." Legolas mused as if he'd known it all along.
Maleena watched them from ahead. She could sense the tenseness between them and the turmoil that lay deep within their souls. She could not yet understand why it was so hard for them to be together, but soon she would begin to understand.