AUTHOR'S NOTE: And I'm back! I was out of town for three weeks, which
explains why it's been so long since I've updated. This is the next to the
last chapter! The next one may even be out today, probably tomorrow,
because I start school Wednesday and I want this to be done before then.
Enjoy!
Differences:
After Legolas left the Dining Hall, I decided not to follow him. He had seemed quite angry, and he was the type to want time to seeth after a confrontation. I went back to my room and was reading when I heard the knock on my door, as I knew would happen eventually.
"Come in," I called. Legolas opened the door, carrying a large bag with him.
"What is that for?" I asked, confused. He grinned.
"It is yours, to pack your things in."
"And why would I be packing my things?" I sighed, his mischeivous grin starting to pique my curiousity.
"Oh, I just thought you might be interested in attending Aragorn's -- now known as Elessar, by the way -- coronation. . . and wedding." I sat up on the bed and started practically bouncing with excitement.
"What?! Coronation? Wedding? Tell me, tell me!" I insisted. Legolas laughed as he sat and filled me in on all that had happened.
"He asked me specifically to bring you along," he finished. I was still bouncing happily, now with a big goofy grin plastered across my face.
"I am so happy for him! When do we leave?" I asked, barely able to contain my excitement. I had never been to Gondor before, and my excitement for the trip alone combined with my happiness for Aragorn was nearly too much to handle.
"The day after tomorrow," he replied. I gaped at him.
"So soon? I will never get packed in time!" I cried, jumping up off the bed. Legolas smiled and shook his head.
"I will come by to get you for dinner, because I know otherwise you will not surface from packing until it is time to leave. Also, I have someone I want you to meet."
"Who is it?" I asked distractedly as I pondered which dresses to take.
"A friend of mine. . . I can assure you he is quite unlike anyone you have ever met before." His odd comment barely reached my mind through the haze of fabrics and shoes that were currently flying through it.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Several hours and two trips to the seamstress later, I was folding a nightgown when there was a knock at my door. Torn between being irritated at the interruption and thankful for the break, I opened the door to find Legolas standing there, and I immediately remembered dinner.
"Oh, Legolas! I was so preoccupied with packing I-"
"Forgot all about dinner, as predicted," he finished with a grin. "Come on, you can finish packing tomorrow."
"I think I am nearly done anyway," I said as I closed the door behind me. "Except for what the seamstress is rushing to get done for what I will wear to the coronation and-" once again I was cut off, this time by a loud grumbling noise behind me. I was so startled that I jumped, causing Legolas to instinctively tighten his grip on my arm.
"Oh, Gimli, forgive me. I forgot to introduce you." As he spoke, I saw a short, stout looking man, quite obviously a dwarf, step out from behind him. It took every bit of my willpower to keep myself from squeaking in surprise. "Mara, this is Gimli son of Gloin. Gimli, Maranwe."
I managed to shove my surprise to the side for the moment. "It is nice to meet you, sir," I said politely.
"Sir? Sir!" he said with a gruff laugh. "This is the most polite reception I have gotten from a Mirkwood elf yet, including Legolas here. So, I can say in all truth that it is nice to meet you, lass," he said with a polite bow that I have to admit shocked me quite a bit.
"Are you the dwarf who was in the Fellowship with Legolas?" I questioned as we resumed our walk to the Dining Hall.
"Yes I am, though both of us were none too happy aobut that at the beginning," Gimli laughed.
"Yes, I remember some of the things he told me about you when the quest was just beginning," I laughed. I felt a bit of embarrassment coming from Legolas through our link. "It is obvious you two have warmed up to each other, though," I added.
"Well, I can tolerate him now anyway," Legolas said.
"Of course you can. You have to tolerate me after I watched your back like I did at Helm's Deep."
"I would have fared just was well without you watching my back, thank you! I cannot help it if you feel such protective urges toward me," Legolas shrugged.
"Why, you little pointy-eared. . ." I could not help but giggle as he trailed off and shifted an embarrassed glance toward me. "I will hold my tongue only because we are in the presence of a lady," he said haughtily.
"Oh no, please continue," I giggled. "I would much enjoy seeing Legolas match wits with someone other than myself." A look of pure shock crossed Gimli's face.
"You mean the lad has wits? Could have fooled me!" I laughed out loud at that.
"I think we will get along very well!" I declared as Legolas tried hard to look insulted.
'So you like him?' Legolas asked through our link.
'Yes, he seems nice, for a dwarf.' I could feel waves of relief coming from Legolas. 'I am glad to see that you were not without companionship on the quest,' I added. Legolas smiled down at me.
'He has become a good friend, despite our... differences. And I am glad you, at least, have accepted him, as my father and Aldeon have been less open minded.'
'Less open minded' was a bit of an understatement. Hardly a word was said during dinner. Thranduil and Aldeon were much too busy sending Gimli and Legolas odd looks to get much speaking done. Legolas, Gimli, and I did not bother ourselves with them for the moment, though. We ate quickly and excused ourselves so Legolas and I could show Gimli around Mirkwood a bit before we left for Gondor.
The next day I was doing some last-minute packing (though, with the short notice Legolas had given me, all of my packing could have been considered last minute) when there was a knock at my door. When I opened it, I found the last person I expected on the other side, Gimli.
"Forgive me for interrupting. Are you in love with Legolas?" The abruptness of his question has me spluttering and staring in shock.
"Please, come in," I said when I could speak again. "That was rather. . . unexpected."
"Well, I'm not one to beat around the bush," he said gruffly. "I would think that to be a yes or no question," he added when I did not say anything.
"I. . ." When I trailed off, Gimli sighed.
"He does love you, though I believe you know that already. He told me once while we were in Lothlorien that while he knew that the whole purpose of the quest was to save Middle Earth, but he would be, and in his mind often was, doing it only to save you."
Legolas had felt my surprise when I had opened the door, and knew that I was speaking with Gimli, but I did not let the topic of our conversation get through so that he would know what it was, but it was hard to concentrate on that when Gimli's words were bringing tears to my eyes.
"I do not want to hurt him," I said softly, "But I do not know that I could ever love him as he loves me. He has always been as a brother to me, and-"
"Yes, I know, he has told me. He has told me about how you are reluctant to look at him as anything more than a good friend or brother, especially since his father adopted you and your brother. But he also told me how much he loves you. Enough that he would even be willing to see you with another elf, if it meant your happiness. I can see it in his eyes when he speaks of you, even more when he speaks TO you, lass, even if only in passing!"
He sighed as I wiped away the tears that had spilled over. "I'm not telling you this to make you cry, lass. I'm telling you because you deserve to know how serious it is, and you seem oblivious to it when you are around him. Besides that, he won't press the issue any because he does not want to pressure you. As his friend, and hopefully yours, I felt like I had to tell you." He let out a long breath. "That was harder than I expected." I laughed uneasily.
"I do not know what to say. . . but I do thank you for your honesty."
"That's it? I make a speech such as that and you can't even tell me what you plan to do about it? Hmph." he finished.
"I would tell you, if I knew myself!" I said quickly. "I have known for quite some time, but not to the extent of which you speak. I have thought about it nonstop, it seems, but I can come to no conclusion except what I have already told Legolas." I shrugged helplessly. "I am sorry."
"I'm not the one who needs your apology," he said quietly. "But I can thank you for your honesty as well." There was an awkward silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "Well, I will take my leave and let you return to your packing. I was informed by Legolas that his father has some very fine ales that I might want to try," he added with a wink.
"If you go into the wine cellar, go to the back wall and try the last bottle on the bottom rack. I doubt many of what we have here would rival the strength of your dwarven ales, but that one may come close. Legolas found that out the hard way," I said with a giggle as he left. Legolas immediately swooped in, via our link.
'What is wrong?' he questioned.
'Nothing,' I assured him.
'You were upset, and crying,' he said accusingly.
'I am fine,' I insisted. He did not persist, but I felt his presence hovering on the edge of my mind, as if monitoring for any further problems.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Several days later as we sailed down the Anduin, I paced the deck restlessly, looking off into the distance every once in a while.
"You know, we will sink if you wear a hole in the ship," Aldeon teased as he came up behind me. "We should be there before nightfall. We will spend the night in Osgiliath before going to Minas Tirith tomorrow. Legolas says that Osgiliath is war-ravaged, but there are some parts that will do to stay for the night. More camping than anything, really, as badly as the city as damaged."
"That is terrible," I said softly, thinking of all the people who had lived there. Aldeon nodded silently, with his eyes on my face.
"Mara, is something troubling you? You have seemed restless the whole trip."
"I am fine," I said with a smile. "Just a bit anxious to get there."
"Are you sure?" I smiled.
"I am sure. Now go spend some time with your wife, she looks lonely."
"My- wait, how did you. . ." He trailed off and blushed.
"No, I did not. . . see you," I said, rolling my eyes and grimacing a bit at the thought. "I can tell just by looking at you. You are practically floating," I said, smiling. Aldeon looked over at Firine, his eyes full of joy and pride.
"I cannot believe someone like her would have me," he said quietly. "She is. . . perfect." I smiled up at him.
"You two deserve each other, and I am extremely happy for you." I stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on his cheek. "Now go to your wife," I insisted, giving him a push in her direction. He sent a grateful grin back towards me before doing as I had said. He had not been gone more than a few seconds before I sensed Legolas approaching. Of course our link never failed; he was there a few moments later, with another elf at his side.
"Mara, this is Candor," he said, gesturing to the elf at his side, who gave a slight bow. "He is one of the guards that have come with us. I have asked him to be your escort and guard while we are in Gondor."
"Guard?" I practically squeaked. "Why would I need a guard?" I asked, raising my chin stubbornly.
'Mara, please,' Legolas said pleadingly through the link. 'Many human men cannot be trusted, and I would feel better knowing that you are safe.'
'But-'
'Please, Mara.' I could feel his worry, but I still did not think i needed a guard, and knew I did not want one. He could evidently sense this. 'I do not want to pull rank, but I will,' he warned.
"Fine," I finally said aloud. 'But I do not have to like it,' I added silently. Legolas inclined his head slightly in acceptance before turning to leave.
When we reached Osgiliath later that day, just before dusk, it was all I could do to keep myself from running off the boat before anyone else. As soon as we had reached land, Candor had appeared behind me, carrying my bags. He was very kind and polite, but I could not help but resent the fact that he would be my guardian the entire time we were here.
'It is not his fault, he is only following orders,' Legolas told me through our link as he was trying to find out where we would be staying. 'You should not be angry at him.'
'I am not angry at him, I am angry at the situation,' was all I said in reply. We were soon directed to a part of the city that was not quite as damaged as the rest. Although Aldeon had warned me about the condition of the city, it was still surprising. I had thought a city of stone would have been indestructible for the most part, but what met us when we arrived was little more than ruins.
"This was such a beautiful city," Legolas said mournfully as he joined me where I was sitting on a low wall, watching the sunset. "And with Aragorn - Elessar," he corrected himself, "as king, it will be again soon." Although I too had thought about the city itself, that was not what was on my mind at the moment.
"This city was strong, and yet it was still destroyed by the war," I said softly. "I do not think I realized how bad it got outside the safety of home." I turned to face him, putting my hand over his own. "Anything could have happened to you out there, and I-"
"But it did not," Legolas said gently, turning his hand over so that our hands clasped together. "I am here, and I am well." He reached up to wipe a tear off of my face.
"I do not know how you did it, how you stood it, all the pressure. . . for over a year the fate of Middle Earth was at stake, and yet you stayed calm. I could not have done it," I said with a little laugh.
"I did not have any other choice," Legolas said simply, turning back to the sunset, its orange glow reflecting on his face. "And being able to be here again makes it all worth it," he said, putting his arm around me so I could rest my head comfortably on his shoulder.
To the casual onlooker, I am sure I looked quite calm and content as I sat there, leaning companionably against Legolas as we watched the sunset, but in truth I was anything but calm. My thoughts were racing, and it was all I could do to keep Legolas from sensing it. So many times in the past we had sat in this exact same position, his arm around me and my head on his shoulder as we watched some spectacle or another, but it seemed so different now that I knew how he felt. He was acting no different than he ever had, as far as I could tell, and yet I now I always wondered what he was thinking as he put his arm around me; of companionship, or of romance? Of course we had the link, but he could always do as I was doing now, shield me from his thoughts. We were completely alone; he had even given Candor the night off, telling him that he would 'take over', but I felt as if we were being watched from the shadows, with whispers flying all about us. The thought was unsettling to say the least.
"Is something wrong?" Legolas asked as he looked down at me, the last rays of light reaching his face.
"No. I think this is the first time I've ever seen a sunset this clearly," I said, pushing all my confusing thoughts aside. I gave a short laugh. "After all my years on this earth, I have never left the shelter of the trees long enough to see a sunset such as this. This alone would have made the trip worth it." I sighed contentedly as I scooted a little closer, the coolness of the spring night starting to chill me.
"Yes, it is beautiful," he replied. I could not help but blush when I realized that he was looking at me instead of the sunset.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Now I'm back to writing like the world's coming to an end... hope to post soon! Thanks to Nienna for her help with naming my elves, to Kaela for being such a wonderful beta, and to everyone who has reviewed for your support!
Differences:
After Legolas left the Dining Hall, I decided not to follow him. He had seemed quite angry, and he was the type to want time to seeth after a confrontation. I went back to my room and was reading when I heard the knock on my door, as I knew would happen eventually.
"Come in," I called. Legolas opened the door, carrying a large bag with him.
"What is that for?" I asked, confused. He grinned.
"It is yours, to pack your things in."
"And why would I be packing my things?" I sighed, his mischeivous grin starting to pique my curiousity.
"Oh, I just thought you might be interested in attending Aragorn's -- now known as Elessar, by the way -- coronation. . . and wedding." I sat up on the bed and started practically bouncing with excitement.
"What?! Coronation? Wedding? Tell me, tell me!" I insisted. Legolas laughed as he sat and filled me in on all that had happened.
"He asked me specifically to bring you along," he finished. I was still bouncing happily, now with a big goofy grin plastered across my face.
"I am so happy for him! When do we leave?" I asked, barely able to contain my excitement. I had never been to Gondor before, and my excitement for the trip alone combined with my happiness for Aragorn was nearly too much to handle.
"The day after tomorrow," he replied. I gaped at him.
"So soon? I will never get packed in time!" I cried, jumping up off the bed. Legolas smiled and shook his head.
"I will come by to get you for dinner, because I know otherwise you will not surface from packing until it is time to leave. Also, I have someone I want you to meet."
"Who is it?" I asked distractedly as I pondered which dresses to take.
"A friend of mine. . . I can assure you he is quite unlike anyone you have ever met before." His odd comment barely reached my mind through the haze of fabrics and shoes that were currently flying through it.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Several hours and two trips to the seamstress later, I was folding a nightgown when there was a knock at my door. Torn between being irritated at the interruption and thankful for the break, I opened the door to find Legolas standing there, and I immediately remembered dinner.
"Oh, Legolas! I was so preoccupied with packing I-"
"Forgot all about dinner, as predicted," he finished with a grin. "Come on, you can finish packing tomorrow."
"I think I am nearly done anyway," I said as I closed the door behind me. "Except for what the seamstress is rushing to get done for what I will wear to the coronation and-" once again I was cut off, this time by a loud grumbling noise behind me. I was so startled that I jumped, causing Legolas to instinctively tighten his grip on my arm.
"Oh, Gimli, forgive me. I forgot to introduce you." As he spoke, I saw a short, stout looking man, quite obviously a dwarf, step out from behind him. It took every bit of my willpower to keep myself from squeaking in surprise. "Mara, this is Gimli son of Gloin. Gimli, Maranwe."
I managed to shove my surprise to the side for the moment. "It is nice to meet you, sir," I said politely.
"Sir? Sir!" he said with a gruff laugh. "This is the most polite reception I have gotten from a Mirkwood elf yet, including Legolas here. So, I can say in all truth that it is nice to meet you, lass," he said with a polite bow that I have to admit shocked me quite a bit.
"Are you the dwarf who was in the Fellowship with Legolas?" I questioned as we resumed our walk to the Dining Hall.
"Yes I am, though both of us were none too happy aobut that at the beginning," Gimli laughed.
"Yes, I remember some of the things he told me about you when the quest was just beginning," I laughed. I felt a bit of embarrassment coming from Legolas through our link. "It is obvious you two have warmed up to each other, though," I added.
"Well, I can tolerate him now anyway," Legolas said.
"Of course you can. You have to tolerate me after I watched your back like I did at Helm's Deep."
"I would have fared just was well without you watching my back, thank you! I cannot help it if you feel such protective urges toward me," Legolas shrugged.
"Why, you little pointy-eared. . ." I could not help but giggle as he trailed off and shifted an embarrassed glance toward me. "I will hold my tongue only because we are in the presence of a lady," he said haughtily.
"Oh no, please continue," I giggled. "I would much enjoy seeing Legolas match wits with someone other than myself." A look of pure shock crossed Gimli's face.
"You mean the lad has wits? Could have fooled me!" I laughed out loud at that.
"I think we will get along very well!" I declared as Legolas tried hard to look insulted.
'So you like him?' Legolas asked through our link.
'Yes, he seems nice, for a dwarf.' I could feel waves of relief coming from Legolas. 'I am glad to see that you were not without companionship on the quest,' I added. Legolas smiled down at me.
'He has become a good friend, despite our... differences. And I am glad you, at least, have accepted him, as my father and Aldeon have been less open minded.'
'Less open minded' was a bit of an understatement. Hardly a word was said during dinner. Thranduil and Aldeon were much too busy sending Gimli and Legolas odd looks to get much speaking done. Legolas, Gimli, and I did not bother ourselves with them for the moment, though. We ate quickly and excused ourselves so Legolas and I could show Gimli around Mirkwood a bit before we left for Gondor.
The next day I was doing some last-minute packing (though, with the short notice Legolas had given me, all of my packing could have been considered last minute) when there was a knock at my door. When I opened it, I found the last person I expected on the other side, Gimli.
"Forgive me for interrupting. Are you in love with Legolas?" The abruptness of his question has me spluttering and staring in shock.
"Please, come in," I said when I could speak again. "That was rather. . . unexpected."
"Well, I'm not one to beat around the bush," he said gruffly. "I would think that to be a yes or no question," he added when I did not say anything.
"I. . ." When I trailed off, Gimli sighed.
"He does love you, though I believe you know that already. He told me once while we were in Lothlorien that while he knew that the whole purpose of the quest was to save Middle Earth, but he would be, and in his mind often was, doing it only to save you."
Legolas had felt my surprise when I had opened the door, and knew that I was speaking with Gimli, but I did not let the topic of our conversation get through so that he would know what it was, but it was hard to concentrate on that when Gimli's words were bringing tears to my eyes.
"I do not want to hurt him," I said softly, "But I do not know that I could ever love him as he loves me. He has always been as a brother to me, and-"
"Yes, I know, he has told me. He has told me about how you are reluctant to look at him as anything more than a good friend or brother, especially since his father adopted you and your brother. But he also told me how much he loves you. Enough that he would even be willing to see you with another elf, if it meant your happiness. I can see it in his eyes when he speaks of you, even more when he speaks TO you, lass, even if only in passing!"
He sighed as I wiped away the tears that had spilled over. "I'm not telling you this to make you cry, lass. I'm telling you because you deserve to know how serious it is, and you seem oblivious to it when you are around him. Besides that, he won't press the issue any because he does not want to pressure you. As his friend, and hopefully yours, I felt like I had to tell you." He let out a long breath. "That was harder than I expected." I laughed uneasily.
"I do not know what to say. . . but I do thank you for your honesty."
"That's it? I make a speech such as that and you can't even tell me what you plan to do about it? Hmph." he finished.
"I would tell you, if I knew myself!" I said quickly. "I have known for quite some time, but not to the extent of which you speak. I have thought about it nonstop, it seems, but I can come to no conclusion except what I have already told Legolas." I shrugged helplessly. "I am sorry."
"I'm not the one who needs your apology," he said quietly. "But I can thank you for your honesty as well." There was an awkward silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "Well, I will take my leave and let you return to your packing. I was informed by Legolas that his father has some very fine ales that I might want to try," he added with a wink.
"If you go into the wine cellar, go to the back wall and try the last bottle on the bottom rack. I doubt many of what we have here would rival the strength of your dwarven ales, but that one may come close. Legolas found that out the hard way," I said with a giggle as he left. Legolas immediately swooped in, via our link.
'What is wrong?' he questioned.
'Nothing,' I assured him.
'You were upset, and crying,' he said accusingly.
'I am fine,' I insisted. He did not persist, but I felt his presence hovering on the edge of my mind, as if monitoring for any further problems.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Several days later as we sailed down the Anduin, I paced the deck restlessly, looking off into the distance every once in a while.
"You know, we will sink if you wear a hole in the ship," Aldeon teased as he came up behind me. "We should be there before nightfall. We will spend the night in Osgiliath before going to Minas Tirith tomorrow. Legolas says that Osgiliath is war-ravaged, but there are some parts that will do to stay for the night. More camping than anything, really, as badly as the city as damaged."
"That is terrible," I said softly, thinking of all the people who had lived there. Aldeon nodded silently, with his eyes on my face.
"Mara, is something troubling you? You have seemed restless the whole trip."
"I am fine," I said with a smile. "Just a bit anxious to get there."
"Are you sure?" I smiled.
"I am sure. Now go spend some time with your wife, she looks lonely."
"My- wait, how did you. . ." He trailed off and blushed.
"No, I did not. . . see you," I said, rolling my eyes and grimacing a bit at the thought. "I can tell just by looking at you. You are practically floating," I said, smiling. Aldeon looked over at Firine, his eyes full of joy and pride.
"I cannot believe someone like her would have me," he said quietly. "She is. . . perfect." I smiled up at him.
"You two deserve each other, and I am extremely happy for you." I stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on his cheek. "Now go to your wife," I insisted, giving him a push in her direction. He sent a grateful grin back towards me before doing as I had said. He had not been gone more than a few seconds before I sensed Legolas approaching. Of course our link never failed; he was there a few moments later, with another elf at his side.
"Mara, this is Candor," he said, gesturing to the elf at his side, who gave a slight bow. "He is one of the guards that have come with us. I have asked him to be your escort and guard while we are in Gondor."
"Guard?" I practically squeaked. "Why would I need a guard?" I asked, raising my chin stubbornly.
'Mara, please,' Legolas said pleadingly through the link. 'Many human men cannot be trusted, and I would feel better knowing that you are safe.'
'But-'
'Please, Mara.' I could feel his worry, but I still did not think i needed a guard, and knew I did not want one. He could evidently sense this. 'I do not want to pull rank, but I will,' he warned.
"Fine," I finally said aloud. 'But I do not have to like it,' I added silently. Legolas inclined his head slightly in acceptance before turning to leave.
When we reached Osgiliath later that day, just before dusk, it was all I could do to keep myself from running off the boat before anyone else. As soon as we had reached land, Candor had appeared behind me, carrying my bags. He was very kind and polite, but I could not help but resent the fact that he would be my guardian the entire time we were here.
'It is not his fault, he is only following orders,' Legolas told me through our link as he was trying to find out where we would be staying. 'You should not be angry at him.'
'I am not angry at him, I am angry at the situation,' was all I said in reply. We were soon directed to a part of the city that was not quite as damaged as the rest. Although Aldeon had warned me about the condition of the city, it was still surprising. I had thought a city of stone would have been indestructible for the most part, but what met us when we arrived was little more than ruins.
"This was such a beautiful city," Legolas said mournfully as he joined me where I was sitting on a low wall, watching the sunset. "And with Aragorn - Elessar," he corrected himself, "as king, it will be again soon." Although I too had thought about the city itself, that was not what was on my mind at the moment.
"This city was strong, and yet it was still destroyed by the war," I said softly. "I do not think I realized how bad it got outside the safety of home." I turned to face him, putting my hand over his own. "Anything could have happened to you out there, and I-"
"But it did not," Legolas said gently, turning his hand over so that our hands clasped together. "I am here, and I am well." He reached up to wipe a tear off of my face.
"I do not know how you did it, how you stood it, all the pressure. . . for over a year the fate of Middle Earth was at stake, and yet you stayed calm. I could not have done it," I said with a little laugh.
"I did not have any other choice," Legolas said simply, turning back to the sunset, its orange glow reflecting on his face. "And being able to be here again makes it all worth it," he said, putting his arm around me so I could rest my head comfortably on his shoulder.
To the casual onlooker, I am sure I looked quite calm and content as I sat there, leaning companionably against Legolas as we watched the sunset, but in truth I was anything but calm. My thoughts were racing, and it was all I could do to keep Legolas from sensing it. So many times in the past we had sat in this exact same position, his arm around me and my head on his shoulder as we watched some spectacle or another, but it seemed so different now that I knew how he felt. He was acting no different than he ever had, as far as I could tell, and yet I now I always wondered what he was thinking as he put his arm around me; of companionship, or of romance? Of course we had the link, but he could always do as I was doing now, shield me from his thoughts. We were completely alone; he had even given Candor the night off, telling him that he would 'take over', but I felt as if we were being watched from the shadows, with whispers flying all about us. The thought was unsettling to say the least.
"Is something wrong?" Legolas asked as he looked down at me, the last rays of light reaching his face.
"No. I think this is the first time I've ever seen a sunset this clearly," I said, pushing all my confusing thoughts aside. I gave a short laugh. "After all my years on this earth, I have never left the shelter of the trees long enough to see a sunset such as this. This alone would have made the trip worth it." I sighed contentedly as I scooted a little closer, the coolness of the spring night starting to chill me.
"Yes, it is beautiful," he replied. I could not help but blush when I realized that he was looking at me instead of the sunset.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Now I'm back to writing like the world's coming to an end... hope to post soon! Thanks to Nienna for her help with naming my elves, to Kaela for being such a wonderful beta, and to everyone who has reviewed for your support!