Kyriana sat atop her horse, riding through the forests of Mirkwood. The
trees moved slowly by as she sat straight as a stick in the hard saddle,
her feet dangling over the sides, out of their stirrups. She hated riding.
Well, actually, she was afraid of horses. Which caused her to hate riding.
Even worse was riding in a skirt. Worse still was riding in a full-blown
dress. Sighing in despair, she slumped in her saddle.
"Kyriana!" Her father hissed, glaring at her. "Sit up straight! You are riding in royal company!" Nodding ahead to a tiny dot she could just barely make out, he turned and stared straight ahead, his back rigid as he swayed in his saddle.
Leave it to Ada to ignore my happiness but to notice when and where I show the first signs of incorrect manners. She thought. "Yes, Ada." She replied. The response had become almost second nature to her. Her father was a control freak who often slapped her when she did not reply in correct time or tone. He was also a power hungry nutcase who cared nothing for his daughter's wellbeing as long as she was out of his way. Why he didn't let her leave the house and live somewhere with her friend was beyond her.
A cough brought her back to reality. There, standing at the palace gates, was King Thranduil and his son. Legolas. The man she was destined to marry. The man who would one day rule all of Mirkwood with her by his side. Legolas was gorgeous! His long, golden blonde hair fell just below his shoulders. Two braids framed his face.
Kyriana immediately regretted her daydreaming. The look of annoyance on her father's face told her that she had done something wrong. Cringing as she dismounted from the saddle (her rear end was sore) She landed on the ground with a soft thump. She looked a mess. One bootstring was untied, her sash had come undone, and her hair was tangled around her face. Her skirts swished around her ankles as she walked to greet Legolas and Thranduil.
"Your majesty." Kyriana said, curtsying to Thranduil as her father had instructed her to do. "Your highness." As she curtsied to Legolas, her hair fell into her face. Brushing it away with a dreadful feeling that she had done something else wrong, she followed the three men inside the castle.
Many of the slaps she received could have been avoided. Take this one, for example. She had tried to persuade her father to let her braid her hair instead of wearing it down, but nooooo. "You'll be wearing it in a braid enough when you are pregnant with his child." Her father had said. "Let him see you with it down once." She had tried to protest, but when he had slapped her for it, she quieted down. She lived in constant fear of doing something wrong or displeasing someone. Would Legolas hurt her? Probably not. His kind and gentle features spoke of someone with an open heart, someone who would love her as a sister if he did not love her as a wife. Someone who would be the brother she never had.
Her father had often threatened her with her life if she told anyone that he hit her. More than once he had broken a bone, but it healed quickly and she was able to make up a story for her friends. But here in Mirkwood she had no one to watch her back, no one to guard her in her weak moments. For now, she was alone with the man she called father.
Walking up the steps into the palace quickly, she followed exactly three steps behind her father, who was following Legolas, who was following Thranduil. After showing her father to his room, Thranduil said something quietly to Legolas. The golden haired prince smiled, then turned and said, "Follow me."
They walked for a few minutes, Kyriana staying three steps behind him. This, too, had become second nature for her. As he led her down the hall, he turned and said, "You can walk beside me, you know."
Kyriana look at the floor, her ears red. She didn't answer him. Instead, she thought, there is something else I did wrong! When he opened a door and motioned her in, she followed willingly. Handing her the key, he said, "If you need anything... ask one of the servants. Someone will be in shortly." He left, feeling quite awkward. Heading for his brother's room, he opened the door without knocking.
"Novancaion?" He asked, flopping down on the bed. "Are you in here?"
"Yes, I'm in here. What's on your mind, elfling?" He asked, teasing his little brother.
"Ada's forcing me to get married to this girl I hardly even know and I don't want to do it and I don't know what to do but he tells me it's the best thing for me and her but I don't want to do it so how can it be the best thing for me and I-''
"Slow down, Legolas." Novancaion coolly intervened. "You don't want to marry this girl..."
"Kyriana."
"Right. You don't want to marry Kyriana but Ada's forcing you to." Novancaion said, sitting down on a corner of the bed in a very princely manner.
"Right." The youngest prince groaned. "Why can't I find love in simple place like you?" He asked, eyes closed, stretched out on the bed.
The prince-like attitude disappeared. In it's place was a grin and a playful look. "Finding love with Allyiah was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Novancaion said, chuckling in memory. "Talk to her. Get to know her. You might be surprised how well you'll get along."
"I might. We might have nothing in common."
"That could be true too. Now go. Wash up. Tonight is your first night as an engaged elf. You need to be clean." With that he pushed Legolas gently out of the room. With nowhere left to go, the youngest prince sighed in defeat and went to take his bath.
********************Kyriana's POV********************
Kyriana lay on her bed, eyes closed in deep thought. Legolas was not the kind of person who would hurt her... she hoped. His father and brothers... she couldn't be so sure. Sighing, she looked up at the ceiling, her eyes following the cracks where the wood had stopped.
When a bell rang somewhere in the castle she sighed again, rolled off the bed, and walked out the door, pocketing the key. Taking a deep breath, she tried to follow her nose to the dining room, but had no such luck. "Well, then." She thought. "I'll just walk until I find it." And so she did. She walked straight down the deserted hall in what she hoped was the right direction.
She walked. And she walked. And she walked. And she walked some more. She walked until she was in a deserted part of the castle. Dust covered the walls and the floor. "This obviously isn't right." She thought, turning back. Instead she bumped into a solid brick wall. "Well." She thought, her mind racing as she tried to find her way back. She passed a portrait that seemed vaguely familiar, then another, and another, until she found her way back to her room. This time there was a servant walking down the hall.
"Excuse me!" She called out, hurriedly wiping the dust from her dress.
"Yes, miss?" The girl turned back.
"I'm trying to find my way to the dining room. Could you point me in the right direction?"
"Yes, ma'am. Go straight down this hall. Take the first left you come to, then immediately turn right. You should be able to follow your nose from there."
"Thank you!" Kyriana called after the girl's retreating back. She started down the hall for the second time that day. When she finally stumbled into the dining room a half-hour late, her father sent a death glare her way. Thranduil and Legolas laughed sympathetically as she told them about her adventured with the deserted west wing.
She enjoyed her dinner and forgot about what was actually happening in her life. After dinner, though, it all came back to her. She found herself facing her very angry father, who obviously wasn't effected by the elven wine he had drunk during dinner. "What was that?" He asked, his jaw clenched shut as he tried to contain his anger.
"There was no one to ask help from! By the time I could-"
"Don't talk back to me, young lady." Her father slapped her across the cheek. Hard. Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.
"But you-"
"I said, don't talk back." He slapped her again, this time harder than the last. Kyriana winced but stood her ground.
Numbly, she nodded. Refusing to stand down she glared defiantly at her father... and received another slap.
"Go. Talk with your husband." Her father sneered. "And if you ever pull a stunt like that again, your excuse will be your last."
Kyriana walked away from his room, shaking in fear. Her father had just threatened to kill her. She was unlocking the door of her room when Legolas appeared. Noticing the red handprint on her face, he asked, "What happened?"
"Nothing." She lied. "I fell down."
"Kyriana..."
"It's the truth!" She cried. "I tripped over my skirt and fell down."
"You do not get handprints on your cheek from tripping. Skinned hands and knees or elbows, sure." Laying a cool hand on her cheek and turning her face toward his, he paused. "Who did this to you?"
"No one. I fell." She unlocked her door and stepped inside. "Now, if you will excuse me, I think I will retire. I am tired from my journey. It has been a long day." She closed the door. She waited until she heard his footsteps fading down the hall, then buried her face in a pillow and cried.
********************Legolas's POV********************
Legolas sighed. The day had gone pretty well for what he had expected. Kyriana was nice, but she was not the kind of person he could see himself falling in love with. He sat on his bed, thinking. What happened to her? Who had hit her? Surely she hadn't fallen... He could see the bright red handprint of her face that marked that she had been slapped. Three times. And hard, at that.
"Legolas?" A female voice asked.
"What?" The voice jerked him out of his thoughts. Maqueden stood at the door, smiling at him.
"You look happy. Perhaps this arranged marriage is going to work out after all?" She said, mistaking the strange expression on his face for a smile.
"Perhaps not." He sighed. "She's nice, but she's not the kind of person I see myself falling for." He sighed.
"Something wrong?" She asked, her gaze going to the window.
"No." He sighed. Deciding to keep his troubles with Kyriana to himself, he asked, "How was your day?"
"About as good as one can get working in a laundromat." She sighed. "I should win an award for the 'most shriveled fingers' or something..." Holding up her hands and showing him her pruned fingers, she sighed. "Anyway, how was yours?"
"Not as bad as I thought it would be." He sighed. "We need something to do!"
"Well, your hair isn't braided..."
"Knock yourself out." Legolas said, tossing her the comb. She stood behind him, her fingers working quickly to braid it. Tying it off, she looked out the window.
"Let me braid yours?" Legolas asked, taking the comb from her. His fingers ran through her hair, ridding it of any tangles.
"Why not?" She answered. His fingers were gentle as he undid the simple braid she wore and created another, more intricate one. In a few minutes he finished. Putting the comb away and brushing a few untamable strands of her strawberry blonde hair out of her face, he smiled. "Much as I love your company, I have to go talk to Kyriana." When she followed him out the door and down the hall, he turned. "The door is that way, Maqueden." He said, turning her and showing her the door.
"I know. I'm following you. I want to meet the girl who is taking my little Leggy away from me."
"Oh yes, Valar knows if you don't approve, no one will." Legolas said sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and knocked softly on Kyriana's door.
"What?" She asked, poking her head nervously out the door. "I didn't tell him, I swear!" Then, seeing Legolas and Maqueden standing there, she blushed. "Oh. It's you." Smiling quite fixedly, she invited them in.
"Kyriana, this is Maqueden. Maqueden, this is Kyriana." Legolas introduced the two girls.
"Nice to meet you." They said at the same time. The three laughed quietly. Then, a silence came over the room. Legolas sighed. That was the only noise in the room for well over a minute.
Legolas broke the silence by asking, "Anyone hungry? I can get some food from the kitchens..."
"Men." Maqueden muttered, looking at Legolas. "You just ate!"
"I know."
Maqueden rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're impossible."
"So are you."
"Not as impossible as you are!"
A small giggle made them look to Kyriana. They had almost forgotten she was there.
A bell rang outside. "I've got to go." Maqueden said, the time of night finally registering in her mind. "Anyone care to walk with me?"
"I will." Legolas volunteered. The duo looked at Kyriana, who sighed.
"I don't like to be outside in the dark." She admitted rather sheepishly. "I think I'll stay here."
Nodding, the two left. Walking through the dark forest at night was a bit spooky, but that made it all the more fun. Sometimes they would even tell ghost stories as they walked. Once, when they were young, Legolas got so scared that he stayed at Maqueden's house for the night, afraid to go back.
Often they would play "Remember When..." The game included telling some of their more embarrassing moments or those shared with someone else. Legolas often told the story of the time he had been at Rivendell and Estel had been no older than a toddler. After refusing to take a bath for Legolas, the baby finally got in the tub (quite unwillingly) for Elladan and Elrohir. Afterwards, however, the twins had gotten into a disagreement and Estel had slipped quietly away. He had been found the next morning running through the halls stark naked, by a very distraught Elrond and a very amused Glorfindel.
But this night they walked in silence. There was much to reflect on, and walking provided the best time for reflecting. Finally, Maqueden spoke, breaking the heavy silence that had settled around them. "She seems... nice."
"She is. She's just so... quiet, so withdrawn. It's almost like she's afraid to speak for fear that she will do something wrong." The leaves crunched under his feet as he walked beside his best friend.
"She probably is. Being in front of royalty for the first time is quite distressing, you know." Maqueden laughed, remembering how she and Legolas met.
"She shouldn't be afraid, though. It's almost like... It's almost like she's afraid of something. Or... someone." Legolas sighed again, frustrated.
"Like who?" Maqueden demanded sharply.
"I don't know!" Legolas cried, throwing up his hands. "It could be me or my family. Perhaps it's being in Mirkwood. Being in a strange place with strange people and being expected to be perfect all the time. Perhaps it's her father. There are a plethora of things it could be. But I'm going to find out."
Maqueden smiled, stopping in front of her door. "Good luck." She said, her hand on the doorknob. "If you want help getting out of this... find me. I'll help you."
"Thanks. I might just take you up on that offer." Legolas said. He bent to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before turning and vanishing into the woods.
Maqueden stood, stunned. THE prince of Mirkwood had just KISSED her! Okay, so maybe it wasn't a REAL kiss... But it was close enough for her! Giddily she skipped into the house where Elenna lay, collapsed on the couch.
"I take it you had a good day?"
"It was very good. Yours?"
"Painful. I missed a spot on the mantle and Elian slapped me for it."
"Elian is a demonic little person who calls himself an elf. If you don't want to work for him, then stop. Otherwise..." Maqueden shrugged. "Have you already eaten or do I need to fix something?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Oh, no you don't. You are going to eat something if I have to force-feed it to you. This is four meals you've missed. Even elves need to eat."
"I tell you, I'm not hungry!" Elenna said defensively. "But fine, if you're going to force-feed me, let me have the dignity to feed myself."
"That's more like it. What do you want to eat?"
"I don't know. Surprise me. No meat, though."
Maqueden shuddered. "HOW can you only eat vegetables?! They're all... green, and leafy! Bleargh!"
"To each her own." Elenna said. Maqueden grimaced and began to fix Elenna a salad. Setting the bowl down on the table with a fork, Maqueden watched as her sister ate.
After sitting for a while in complete silence, Elenna said, "All right, spill. You're never this happy this late at night. Who is he?"
"Well... You know him..."
"Maqueden... we're too old for these games! Just tell me who he is!"
"He's blonde."
"Oh, well that helps." Elenna said, distraught. "Please?"
"Oh for the love of the Valar!" Maqueden cried. "How many blonde male elves do I know?"
"LEGOLAS?!?" Elenna asked, dropping her fork and the lettuce it had speared in surprise. "You like Legolas? Why?"
"Not like. Love. Or have you forgotten that Elven love is pure and instant?"
"That I will never forget, my dear sister. I have a reminder of it every day. I hope you know that he will never love you back." She paused. "And even if he did, he's getting married in a year. Surely you can't expect to tell him and get him to love you in only a year!"
"A lot can happen in a year. Things change. Emotions crumble. Sometimes walls you're worked on building all your life come crumbling down in an instant."
"Valar knows mine did." Elenna whispered. "Do you honestly think he left me? Do you think he's dead? Do you think he's forgotten me?"
"No one could ever forget you, even if they tried. I don't know what to think. But I do know that if he doesn't come back soon, you are going to die." Maqueden sighed. "It's been a long day. I think the day has finally come when I'm going to bed earlier than you."
Maqueden stood, stretched, and was walking through the door when Elenna called, "What about the dishes? They don't do themselves, you know!"
"I know. My poor fingers are already pruned enough." Holding up her hands, Maqueden laughed. A small chuckle escaped Elenna's lips- the first in over 900 years.
"All rightey then. Go to sleep, I'm coming as soon as I finish my dinner. You're still not off of Kitchen Duty!" She called after her twin's retreating back.
Now it was Elenna's turn to think. If what was happening to her was going to happen to Maqueden, she had to be careful. She had learned to deal with the pain over the years, but to Maqueden, this was new. She had to stay alive... For herself and for Maqueden. And if living meant forgetting an elf who had long forgotten her, then so be it. They were in this together, and together they would fall.
A/N: Thank you to all three reviewers! From now on, the new chapters should be posted every Saturday or Sunday, depending on which week it is. And thank you to Dreamgirl Fifi for offering to help me with names! I need it!
Adios!
Lilyana Turner
"Kyriana!" Her father hissed, glaring at her. "Sit up straight! You are riding in royal company!" Nodding ahead to a tiny dot she could just barely make out, he turned and stared straight ahead, his back rigid as he swayed in his saddle.
Leave it to Ada to ignore my happiness but to notice when and where I show the first signs of incorrect manners. She thought. "Yes, Ada." She replied. The response had become almost second nature to her. Her father was a control freak who often slapped her when she did not reply in correct time or tone. He was also a power hungry nutcase who cared nothing for his daughter's wellbeing as long as she was out of his way. Why he didn't let her leave the house and live somewhere with her friend was beyond her.
A cough brought her back to reality. There, standing at the palace gates, was King Thranduil and his son. Legolas. The man she was destined to marry. The man who would one day rule all of Mirkwood with her by his side. Legolas was gorgeous! His long, golden blonde hair fell just below his shoulders. Two braids framed his face.
Kyriana immediately regretted her daydreaming. The look of annoyance on her father's face told her that she had done something wrong. Cringing as she dismounted from the saddle (her rear end was sore) She landed on the ground with a soft thump. She looked a mess. One bootstring was untied, her sash had come undone, and her hair was tangled around her face. Her skirts swished around her ankles as she walked to greet Legolas and Thranduil.
"Your majesty." Kyriana said, curtsying to Thranduil as her father had instructed her to do. "Your highness." As she curtsied to Legolas, her hair fell into her face. Brushing it away with a dreadful feeling that she had done something else wrong, she followed the three men inside the castle.
Many of the slaps she received could have been avoided. Take this one, for example. She had tried to persuade her father to let her braid her hair instead of wearing it down, but nooooo. "You'll be wearing it in a braid enough when you are pregnant with his child." Her father had said. "Let him see you with it down once." She had tried to protest, but when he had slapped her for it, she quieted down. She lived in constant fear of doing something wrong or displeasing someone. Would Legolas hurt her? Probably not. His kind and gentle features spoke of someone with an open heart, someone who would love her as a sister if he did not love her as a wife. Someone who would be the brother she never had.
Her father had often threatened her with her life if she told anyone that he hit her. More than once he had broken a bone, but it healed quickly and she was able to make up a story for her friends. But here in Mirkwood she had no one to watch her back, no one to guard her in her weak moments. For now, she was alone with the man she called father.
Walking up the steps into the palace quickly, she followed exactly three steps behind her father, who was following Legolas, who was following Thranduil. After showing her father to his room, Thranduil said something quietly to Legolas. The golden haired prince smiled, then turned and said, "Follow me."
They walked for a few minutes, Kyriana staying three steps behind him. This, too, had become second nature for her. As he led her down the hall, he turned and said, "You can walk beside me, you know."
Kyriana look at the floor, her ears red. She didn't answer him. Instead, she thought, there is something else I did wrong! When he opened a door and motioned her in, she followed willingly. Handing her the key, he said, "If you need anything... ask one of the servants. Someone will be in shortly." He left, feeling quite awkward. Heading for his brother's room, he opened the door without knocking.
"Novancaion?" He asked, flopping down on the bed. "Are you in here?"
"Yes, I'm in here. What's on your mind, elfling?" He asked, teasing his little brother.
"Ada's forcing me to get married to this girl I hardly even know and I don't want to do it and I don't know what to do but he tells me it's the best thing for me and her but I don't want to do it so how can it be the best thing for me and I-''
"Slow down, Legolas." Novancaion coolly intervened. "You don't want to marry this girl..."
"Kyriana."
"Right. You don't want to marry Kyriana but Ada's forcing you to." Novancaion said, sitting down on a corner of the bed in a very princely manner.
"Right." The youngest prince groaned. "Why can't I find love in simple place like you?" He asked, eyes closed, stretched out on the bed.
The prince-like attitude disappeared. In it's place was a grin and a playful look. "Finding love with Allyiah was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Novancaion said, chuckling in memory. "Talk to her. Get to know her. You might be surprised how well you'll get along."
"I might. We might have nothing in common."
"That could be true too. Now go. Wash up. Tonight is your first night as an engaged elf. You need to be clean." With that he pushed Legolas gently out of the room. With nowhere left to go, the youngest prince sighed in defeat and went to take his bath.
********************Kyriana's POV********************
Kyriana lay on her bed, eyes closed in deep thought. Legolas was not the kind of person who would hurt her... she hoped. His father and brothers... she couldn't be so sure. Sighing, she looked up at the ceiling, her eyes following the cracks where the wood had stopped.
When a bell rang somewhere in the castle she sighed again, rolled off the bed, and walked out the door, pocketing the key. Taking a deep breath, she tried to follow her nose to the dining room, but had no such luck. "Well, then." She thought. "I'll just walk until I find it." And so she did. She walked straight down the deserted hall in what she hoped was the right direction.
She walked. And she walked. And she walked. And she walked some more. She walked until she was in a deserted part of the castle. Dust covered the walls and the floor. "This obviously isn't right." She thought, turning back. Instead she bumped into a solid brick wall. "Well." She thought, her mind racing as she tried to find her way back. She passed a portrait that seemed vaguely familiar, then another, and another, until she found her way back to her room. This time there was a servant walking down the hall.
"Excuse me!" She called out, hurriedly wiping the dust from her dress.
"Yes, miss?" The girl turned back.
"I'm trying to find my way to the dining room. Could you point me in the right direction?"
"Yes, ma'am. Go straight down this hall. Take the first left you come to, then immediately turn right. You should be able to follow your nose from there."
"Thank you!" Kyriana called after the girl's retreating back. She started down the hall for the second time that day. When she finally stumbled into the dining room a half-hour late, her father sent a death glare her way. Thranduil and Legolas laughed sympathetically as she told them about her adventured with the deserted west wing.
She enjoyed her dinner and forgot about what was actually happening in her life. After dinner, though, it all came back to her. She found herself facing her very angry father, who obviously wasn't effected by the elven wine he had drunk during dinner. "What was that?" He asked, his jaw clenched shut as he tried to contain his anger.
"There was no one to ask help from! By the time I could-"
"Don't talk back to me, young lady." Her father slapped her across the cheek. Hard. Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.
"But you-"
"I said, don't talk back." He slapped her again, this time harder than the last. Kyriana winced but stood her ground.
Numbly, she nodded. Refusing to stand down she glared defiantly at her father... and received another slap.
"Go. Talk with your husband." Her father sneered. "And if you ever pull a stunt like that again, your excuse will be your last."
Kyriana walked away from his room, shaking in fear. Her father had just threatened to kill her. She was unlocking the door of her room when Legolas appeared. Noticing the red handprint on her face, he asked, "What happened?"
"Nothing." She lied. "I fell down."
"Kyriana..."
"It's the truth!" She cried. "I tripped over my skirt and fell down."
"You do not get handprints on your cheek from tripping. Skinned hands and knees or elbows, sure." Laying a cool hand on her cheek and turning her face toward his, he paused. "Who did this to you?"
"No one. I fell." She unlocked her door and stepped inside. "Now, if you will excuse me, I think I will retire. I am tired from my journey. It has been a long day." She closed the door. She waited until she heard his footsteps fading down the hall, then buried her face in a pillow and cried.
********************Legolas's POV********************
Legolas sighed. The day had gone pretty well for what he had expected. Kyriana was nice, but she was not the kind of person he could see himself falling in love with. He sat on his bed, thinking. What happened to her? Who had hit her? Surely she hadn't fallen... He could see the bright red handprint of her face that marked that she had been slapped. Three times. And hard, at that.
"Legolas?" A female voice asked.
"What?" The voice jerked him out of his thoughts. Maqueden stood at the door, smiling at him.
"You look happy. Perhaps this arranged marriage is going to work out after all?" She said, mistaking the strange expression on his face for a smile.
"Perhaps not." He sighed. "She's nice, but she's not the kind of person I see myself falling for." He sighed.
"Something wrong?" She asked, her gaze going to the window.
"No." He sighed. Deciding to keep his troubles with Kyriana to himself, he asked, "How was your day?"
"About as good as one can get working in a laundromat." She sighed. "I should win an award for the 'most shriveled fingers' or something..." Holding up her hands and showing him her pruned fingers, she sighed. "Anyway, how was yours?"
"Not as bad as I thought it would be." He sighed. "We need something to do!"
"Well, your hair isn't braided..."
"Knock yourself out." Legolas said, tossing her the comb. She stood behind him, her fingers working quickly to braid it. Tying it off, she looked out the window.
"Let me braid yours?" Legolas asked, taking the comb from her. His fingers ran through her hair, ridding it of any tangles.
"Why not?" She answered. His fingers were gentle as he undid the simple braid she wore and created another, more intricate one. In a few minutes he finished. Putting the comb away and brushing a few untamable strands of her strawberry blonde hair out of her face, he smiled. "Much as I love your company, I have to go talk to Kyriana." When she followed him out the door and down the hall, he turned. "The door is that way, Maqueden." He said, turning her and showing her the door.
"I know. I'm following you. I want to meet the girl who is taking my little Leggy away from me."
"Oh yes, Valar knows if you don't approve, no one will." Legolas said sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and knocked softly on Kyriana's door.
"What?" She asked, poking her head nervously out the door. "I didn't tell him, I swear!" Then, seeing Legolas and Maqueden standing there, she blushed. "Oh. It's you." Smiling quite fixedly, she invited them in.
"Kyriana, this is Maqueden. Maqueden, this is Kyriana." Legolas introduced the two girls.
"Nice to meet you." They said at the same time. The three laughed quietly. Then, a silence came over the room. Legolas sighed. That was the only noise in the room for well over a minute.
Legolas broke the silence by asking, "Anyone hungry? I can get some food from the kitchens..."
"Men." Maqueden muttered, looking at Legolas. "You just ate!"
"I know."
Maqueden rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're impossible."
"So are you."
"Not as impossible as you are!"
A small giggle made them look to Kyriana. They had almost forgotten she was there.
A bell rang outside. "I've got to go." Maqueden said, the time of night finally registering in her mind. "Anyone care to walk with me?"
"I will." Legolas volunteered. The duo looked at Kyriana, who sighed.
"I don't like to be outside in the dark." She admitted rather sheepishly. "I think I'll stay here."
Nodding, the two left. Walking through the dark forest at night was a bit spooky, but that made it all the more fun. Sometimes they would even tell ghost stories as they walked. Once, when they were young, Legolas got so scared that he stayed at Maqueden's house for the night, afraid to go back.
Often they would play "Remember When..." The game included telling some of their more embarrassing moments or those shared with someone else. Legolas often told the story of the time he had been at Rivendell and Estel had been no older than a toddler. After refusing to take a bath for Legolas, the baby finally got in the tub (quite unwillingly) for Elladan and Elrohir. Afterwards, however, the twins had gotten into a disagreement and Estel had slipped quietly away. He had been found the next morning running through the halls stark naked, by a very distraught Elrond and a very amused Glorfindel.
But this night they walked in silence. There was much to reflect on, and walking provided the best time for reflecting. Finally, Maqueden spoke, breaking the heavy silence that had settled around them. "She seems... nice."
"She is. She's just so... quiet, so withdrawn. It's almost like she's afraid to speak for fear that she will do something wrong." The leaves crunched under his feet as he walked beside his best friend.
"She probably is. Being in front of royalty for the first time is quite distressing, you know." Maqueden laughed, remembering how she and Legolas met.
"She shouldn't be afraid, though. It's almost like... It's almost like she's afraid of something. Or... someone." Legolas sighed again, frustrated.
"Like who?" Maqueden demanded sharply.
"I don't know!" Legolas cried, throwing up his hands. "It could be me or my family. Perhaps it's being in Mirkwood. Being in a strange place with strange people and being expected to be perfect all the time. Perhaps it's her father. There are a plethora of things it could be. But I'm going to find out."
Maqueden smiled, stopping in front of her door. "Good luck." She said, her hand on the doorknob. "If you want help getting out of this... find me. I'll help you."
"Thanks. I might just take you up on that offer." Legolas said. He bent to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before turning and vanishing into the woods.
Maqueden stood, stunned. THE prince of Mirkwood had just KISSED her! Okay, so maybe it wasn't a REAL kiss... But it was close enough for her! Giddily she skipped into the house where Elenna lay, collapsed on the couch.
"I take it you had a good day?"
"It was very good. Yours?"
"Painful. I missed a spot on the mantle and Elian slapped me for it."
"Elian is a demonic little person who calls himself an elf. If you don't want to work for him, then stop. Otherwise..." Maqueden shrugged. "Have you already eaten or do I need to fix something?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Oh, no you don't. You are going to eat something if I have to force-feed it to you. This is four meals you've missed. Even elves need to eat."
"I tell you, I'm not hungry!" Elenna said defensively. "But fine, if you're going to force-feed me, let me have the dignity to feed myself."
"That's more like it. What do you want to eat?"
"I don't know. Surprise me. No meat, though."
Maqueden shuddered. "HOW can you only eat vegetables?! They're all... green, and leafy! Bleargh!"
"To each her own." Elenna said. Maqueden grimaced and began to fix Elenna a salad. Setting the bowl down on the table with a fork, Maqueden watched as her sister ate.
After sitting for a while in complete silence, Elenna said, "All right, spill. You're never this happy this late at night. Who is he?"
"Well... You know him..."
"Maqueden... we're too old for these games! Just tell me who he is!"
"He's blonde."
"Oh, well that helps." Elenna said, distraught. "Please?"
"Oh for the love of the Valar!" Maqueden cried. "How many blonde male elves do I know?"
"LEGOLAS?!?" Elenna asked, dropping her fork and the lettuce it had speared in surprise. "You like Legolas? Why?"
"Not like. Love. Or have you forgotten that Elven love is pure and instant?"
"That I will never forget, my dear sister. I have a reminder of it every day. I hope you know that he will never love you back." She paused. "And even if he did, he's getting married in a year. Surely you can't expect to tell him and get him to love you in only a year!"
"A lot can happen in a year. Things change. Emotions crumble. Sometimes walls you're worked on building all your life come crumbling down in an instant."
"Valar knows mine did." Elenna whispered. "Do you honestly think he left me? Do you think he's dead? Do you think he's forgotten me?"
"No one could ever forget you, even if they tried. I don't know what to think. But I do know that if he doesn't come back soon, you are going to die." Maqueden sighed. "It's been a long day. I think the day has finally come when I'm going to bed earlier than you."
Maqueden stood, stretched, and was walking through the door when Elenna called, "What about the dishes? They don't do themselves, you know!"
"I know. My poor fingers are already pruned enough." Holding up her hands, Maqueden laughed. A small chuckle escaped Elenna's lips- the first in over 900 years.
"All rightey then. Go to sleep, I'm coming as soon as I finish my dinner. You're still not off of Kitchen Duty!" She called after her twin's retreating back.
Now it was Elenna's turn to think. If what was happening to her was going to happen to Maqueden, she had to be careful. She had learned to deal with the pain over the years, but to Maqueden, this was new. She had to stay alive... For herself and for Maqueden. And if living meant forgetting an elf who had long forgotten her, then so be it. They were in this together, and together they would fall.
A/N: Thank you to all three reviewers! From now on, the new chapters should be posted every Saturday or Sunday, depending on which week it is. And thank you to Dreamgirl Fifi for offering to help me with names! I need it!
Adios!
Lilyana Turner