A/N: Short chapter this time, guys! I didn't have a lot of time this week
to write, so it's really short. And my editor was working all day Friday
and Saturday and has family there on Sunday, so it may not be edited as
well as the others... Oh well!
Legolas sighed as he walked down the deserted halls of the castle. Kyriana was home, though she was already asleep. That left him waiting silently in his room for Maqueden to come... if she was even coming at all. She had been working overtime at the laundromat, which meant that she was often drained of energy. Several times in the past week she had fallen asleep while talking to Legolas, and he had had to wake her and walk her home.
His thoughts turned to his feelings for Maqueden. He felt all fidgety and self-conscious around her. He knew it was love. He also knew that if he had any control over his hormones, he would have chosen Maqueden as the LAST person in the world to fall in love with. The only person he knew of that he could ask for help was his sister... And Valar only knew what would happen when he tried talking to her.
His sister was the oddball of the family. For starters, she was a recluse. The only times she came out of her room were to eat and to speak to her father. She and Legolas had not spoken in several weeks. In fact, he was not even quite sure she was still alive. She might have died and no one would know it for days.
There was a reason that the happy girl Artariel had once been had suddenly vanished from the household. The day after her mother died, her husband died and left her six months pregnant. She had also lost the child before it's second birthday. She had given up on love or luck and instead stayed inside all day, ignoring the rest of her family. The only reason she was still in Mirkwood was because she had nowhere else to go.
Legolas's thoughts turned to reality. How was he going to get out of marrying Kyriana? Maqueden was the only person he knew who could possibly help him get out of it, only because she was considered Mirkwood's biggest troublemaker... next to himself, of course. If she couldn't get him out of it, no one could. He sighed and settled back on the pillows, resigning himself to wait for Maqueden.
He didn't have to wait long. After only a few minutes, she came in through his door, quieter than usual. She silently sat on the end of his bed. She managed a weak smile and he gave one in return, but stayed silent.
"Talkative tonight, aren't we?" Legolas asked, as he poked her gently on the shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm just... tired. I didn't sleep well last night. I was up late with Elenna."
Legolas decided it safer not to ask what they were doing. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the window, avoiding looking at Maqueden. He didn't know how much longer he could stand the fluttering in his stomach. After a few minutes, Maqueden stood and walked to the window.
"I've never noticed how beautiful the view from your window is." She murmured, sinking into the chair beside the window. Legolas just thought she was tired and decided to let her rest. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of a sob.
"Maqueden?" He asked in alarm, laying a hand gently on her shoulder. She turned away.
"Maqueden, please talk to me." Legolas whispered, tilting her chin up. She looked away before she was held powerless under his gaze.
"It's... It's Elenna. She's dying."
Legolas stayed silent for a minute. When he spoke, he said, "I knew it was bad. I didn't know it was this bad."
"Legolas, we've got to find him. She's going to die if she never sees him again."
"I know... I just don't know where to look."
Maqueden sighed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "If we knew where he was... Would you come with us?"
"Are you saying you know where he is?"
"No."
"Yes, I would come with you." *I would follow you to the ends of the earth... if only you knew.* He thought to himself.
"Good." Maqueden sighed as she turned in her chair to face him. "I'm not going to lie... she doesn't have much time left. If we're going to find him... It's got to be soon."
"I know. I promise I'm going to try to find him... I just don't know where to start."
"Neither do I." Maqueden sighed as Legolas wrapped her in a friendly embrace. "Neither do I."
**************************************************************************** *
After Maqueden was gone, Legolas made his decision. He stood suddenly, his feet hitting the cool tile of his bedroom floor. He padded softly down the hall, making his way silently to Artariel's room. He slipped quietly inside, watching the sleeping form of his sister. He smiled- it was rare that she slept peacefully. He moved for the door and stepped into the hall, deciding his feelings concerning Maqueden could wait until tomorrow before they were deciphered.
A/N: Sorry, guys... not as long as most... only 1and a half pages... Like I said, I was really busy... Oh, by the way, I need help with elvish translations. Of you want to help me, put your e-mail address in when you reply and I'll bug you until you tell me what I want to know. Haha, just kidding.
Legolas sighed as he walked down the deserted halls of the castle. Kyriana was home, though she was already asleep. That left him waiting silently in his room for Maqueden to come... if she was even coming at all. She had been working overtime at the laundromat, which meant that she was often drained of energy. Several times in the past week she had fallen asleep while talking to Legolas, and he had had to wake her and walk her home.
His thoughts turned to his feelings for Maqueden. He felt all fidgety and self-conscious around her. He knew it was love. He also knew that if he had any control over his hormones, he would have chosen Maqueden as the LAST person in the world to fall in love with. The only person he knew of that he could ask for help was his sister... And Valar only knew what would happen when he tried talking to her.
His sister was the oddball of the family. For starters, she was a recluse. The only times she came out of her room were to eat and to speak to her father. She and Legolas had not spoken in several weeks. In fact, he was not even quite sure she was still alive. She might have died and no one would know it for days.
There was a reason that the happy girl Artariel had once been had suddenly vanished from the household. The day after her mother died, her husband died and left her six months pregnant. She had also lost the child before it's second birthday. She had given up on love or luck and instead stayed inside all day, ignoring the rest of her family. The only reason she was still in Mirkwood was because she had nowhere else to go.
Legolas's thoughts turned to reality. How was he going to get out of marrying Kyriana? Maqueden was the only person he knew who could possibly help him get out of it, only because she was considered Mirkwood's biggest troublemaker... next to himself, of course. If she couldn't get him out of it, no one could. He sighed and settled back on the pillows, resigning himself to wait for Maqueden.
He didn't have to wait long. After only a few minutes, she came in through his door, quieter than usual. She silently sat on the end of his bed. She managed a weak smile and he gave one in return, but stayed silent.
"Talkative tonight, aren't we?" Legolas asked, as he poked her gently on the shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm just... tired. I didn't sleep well last night. I was up late with Elenna."
Legolas decided it safer not to ask what they were doing. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the window, avoiding looking at Maqueden. He didn't know how much longer he could stand the fluttering in his stomach. After a few minutes, Maqueden stood and walked to the window.
"I've never noticed how beautiful the view from your window is." She murmured, sinking into the chair beside the window. Legolas just thought she was tired and decided to let her rest. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of a sob.
"Maqueden?" He asked in alarm, laying a hand gently on her shoulder. She turned away.
"Maqueden, please talk to me." Legolas whispered, tilting her chin up. She looked away before she was held powerless under his gaze.
"It's... It's Elenna. She's dying."
Legolas stayed silent for a minute. When he spoke, he said, "I knew it was bad. I didn't know it was this bad."
"Legolas, we've got to find him. She's going to die if she never sees him again."
"I know... I just don't know where to look."
Maqueden sighed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "If we knew where he was... Would you come with us?"
"Are you saying you know where he is?"
"No."
"Yes, I would come with you." *I would follow you to the ends of the earth... if only you knew.* He thought to himself.
"Good." Maqueden sighed as she turned in her chair to face him. "I'm not going to lie... she doesn't have much time left. If we're going to find him... It's got to be soon."
"I know. I promise I'm going to try to find him... I just don't know where to start."
"Neither do I." Maqueden sighed as Legolas wrapped her in a friendly embrace. "Neither do I."
**************************************************************************** *
After Maqueden was gone, Legolas made his decision. He stood suddenly, his feet hitting the cool tile of his bedroom floor. He padded softly down the hall, making his way silently to Artariel's room. He slipped quietly inside, watching the sleeping form of his sister. He smiled- it was rare that she slept peacefully. He moved for the door and stepped into the hall, deciding his feelings concerning Maqueden could wait until tomorrow before they were deciphered.
A/N: Sorry, guys... not as long as most... only 1and a half pages... Like I said, I was really busy... Oh, by the way, I need help with elvish translations. Of you want to help me, put your e-mail address in when you reply and I'll bug you until you tell me what I want to know. Haha, just kidding.