A/N: Okies, I'm gonna write the next chappie and send it to my cousin,but
she's going on a band trip on Thursday and won't be back 'till Sunday.
Right, so it may be the Sunday after Next... *thinks to self* Only 2 1/2
weeks of school left!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maqueden slept in the next day, waking up once early in the morning and hearing Elenna and some male talking quietly in her kitchen. Her exhausted mind did not comprehend who that male might be, however. Instead of realizing who he was, she rolled over with a groan and fell back asleep.
The next time she woke, the voices would not let her go back to sleep. The sunlight streaming through her window forced her to roll over. By the time she got settled, she was already so wide-awake there was no point in even thinking about trying to fall back asleep. With a sigh, she rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants, then ran her fingers through her tangled and disheveled hair.
Maqueden opened her door, and the age-old hinges swung open with a loud creak. The voices stopped abruptly, leaving the house in silence save for the chirping of a lone bird outside. With a sigh, Maqueden walked slowly down the hall to the kitchen.
As soon as she walked through the door, she turned right back around again, her face violently red. Elenna was in the kitchen with Legolas... Legolas... LEGOLAS?! Legolas, who had... kissed her, like some... idiot! She knew she would have to face him sooner or later, but why now?... Why now, when she had just woken up? Why not later, when other things had gone wrong?
She fled to her room and heard Elenna open the front door and leave the house. "Great," She thought. "I'm alone... in my house... with Legolas. Beautiful." She collapsed on her bed and closed her eyes.
Then she heard it- the telltale soft padding of feet across the cold stone floor. The footsteps came closer and closer, though they stopped when they were right outside her door. Maqueden did not open her eyes.
"Maqueden?" She heard Legolas ask. She savored the sound of his voice- his kiss had left them on shaky ground. This might be the last time she ever talked to him.
"What?" She asked. The word came out harsher than she planned. A single tear leaked out of the corner of her eye, and she silently cursed herself for crying.
She heard Legolas falter and almost felt his reluctance to continue speaking. "Can... Can we talk? About yesterday?"
"What is there to talk about?" She asked, her face turned to the wall. She really hoped her face didn't betray any emotions... and she hoped she wasn't blushing anymore. Two more tears fell.
"I didn't... I didn't mean... I couldn't... I just..."
Maqueden rolled over to face him. She didn't bother to wipe away her tears. "I understand." She said flatly.
Legolas noticed the tears falling from her eyes. "What did I do?! I love her! Why should she care?!" He thought to himself. His subconscious mind answered. "Because she may not love you, you fool." Legolas marveled at the possibility. Deciding it was now or never, he shakily asked, "Y-you do?"
"Sure. You were looking for a way out of everything. Guess you found it." She said blankly, her eyes unfocused.
"No! No, it isn't like that! Maqueden... I..." He stuttered, trying to still his fluttering heart and speak straight... she just had that effect on her.
"No, Legolas... I get it." Maqueden sighed and closed her eyes.
"Maqueden..." Legolas was starting to get frustrated. "Do you really think I would have kissed you if I didn't REALLY like you? That was my way of telling you. I mean, I can't just say, 'Maqueden, I love you', now can I?" There was a pause in which they both marveled at what he had just said. After a few seconds, Legolas said, "PLEASE tell me I didn't just say that out loud."
Maqueden sat up. Legolas walked very slowly toward her and sat down on the corner of her bed. She turned away, lost for words.
"Please talk to me."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"You don't understand!" Maqueden cried, carefully looking anywhere but at Legolas.
"What don't I understand? Explain it to me." Legolas whispered, tilting her chin up.
Maqueden looked away quickly away before she was held powerless under his gaze. "When I am around you... My mind is no longer my own." He locked eyes with her and she tried to look away again, but found it impossible to do so as she met his clear blue eyes. "You are the reason I live." She whispered.
Too late she realized that he was leaning towards her, and she toward him. Legolas laid a cool hand on her cheek and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Maqueden pulled away first, though she allowed herself to remain wrapped in his comforting embrace.
"We shouldn't do this. We can't. You're... engaged." Maqueden whispered, as she found herself drawn into his embrace and laid her head on his chest. "We should forget... forget this ever happened... and..." She trailed off in a whisper, all conscious thought lost as she met his crystal blue eyes.
"Ssh." Legolas brushed his lips against hers and laid a finger against her lips. "I am bound to you. I will never love another." And in the instant's silence, he claimed her mouth with his own, kissing her with all the love he could muster.
Maqueden stood stunned for a moment, then quickly pulled away, allowing herself to remain in his embrace. She found herself leaning on his chest for support- his kiss had left her knees shaking and they almost gave out under her weight. The thought of Kyriana tugged at her mind. "What are we going to do? Your father will kill us BOTH if he finds out." She whispered, too afraid to speak out lout- her words might shatter what was between them.
"We hide it for as long as we have to. I love you, Maqueden... I always will."
Legolas brushed his lips against hers, wiping away all her worry. Maqueden smiled, all thoughts gone from her head. She fell back on the bed, grinning like mad.
Legolas spoke after a while. "Just a question... How long..."
"I don't know. I lost count in the mid thousands."
Legolas sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. "You must think me incredibly stupid for not noticing."
"Never. It was not my intentions to tell you." Maqueden answered.
"Why not?"
"I was... young. I guess I thought it better to hide it from you than to tell you. It would be my secret. I wouldn't have to worry about you finding out and not feeling the same or anything, because I'd never know. In fact, until yesterday I hadn't planned to tell you anything."
Legolas smiled. "Look... about yesterday... I didn't mean any offense."
"No offense taken. You just... surprised me, that's all. You never acted like you felt anything more than friendship toward me, then you go off and kiss me... It just... scared me a bit, to be truthful." She grinned.
Legolas laughed. Maqueden smiled. Then, suddenly, their attitude turned serious. "What will your father say? Will he approve? I'm so worried..." Maqueden trailed off. "And Kyriana! You're supposed to love HER, not me. I mean, why me? I'm supposed to be your best friend... Not your lover."
"You... you because you love me for who I am, not what I am. Everyone else likes me because I'm the price, or I'm gorgeous, or whatever, but you... You ignored that and saw to my soul. And I love you so much for who you are... I don't know. There's a million and one reasons. I can't possibly name them all."
"Should... Should we keep this from Elenna, too?" Maqueden asked quietly, her head on his shoulder. Legolas was stunned. This was the first –and probably only- time that Maqueden had offered to keep something from her sister. Elenna didn't matter, though... If asked not to tell, she would die before she did so.
"Nah. You can tell Elenna. Just... ask her not to tell anyone else... You never know how word could get to Kyriana... Or worse... Ada." (father)
Maqueden smiled. "Well... What do you want to do with the rest of the day?"
"Wellllll... Tomorrow's a Sunday and you don't have to work, correct?"
"Mm hmm."
"Kyriana is still not allowed to leave the house and Elenna doesn't like camping too terribly much. Sooooooo... I was thinking... We could go camping. One last time... before... Everything changes. Next month we start planning the wedding. I'm not going to have any time."
"Legolas..." Maqueden said, about to make him swear not to try anything. But no, she thought, looking around the room for something to wear, he wouldn't do that anyway. He was a gentleman- he would wait. A grin made its appearance. "Let me get dressed and find something to eat. Then we can go."
As Maqueden shooed Legolas out of the room, the thought of her sister popped into her head. What would she think of the match? Would she be depressed? Would something horrible happen? Wiping the worry away, she produced a pair of pants and a loose shirt. She pulled her hair back into a braid and stepped out of the room and into the kitchen, expecting to see Legolas but instead seeing only the kitchen as it had always been- empty. Deciding he must have gone to find Elenna, she found some Lembas and wrapped them in a piece of cloth and set it in her pack, along with a canteen of water and a bar of soap, a change of clothes, and a brush.
Legolas appeared out of nowhere, a bit surprised to see her ready so quickly. With a grin he waited for her to finish her note to Elenna and followed her out of the house.
Instead of going to their usual camping site, Legolas led her to the one they had discovered a few months before- the one that had fallen from a fairy tale. In the spring it looked even more beautiful with everything in bloom. With a grin, he started off down the path. He had kept it clean since they discovered it, though the curtain of ivy was still there. As he pushed it aside, several birds took flight, startled by the two elves' sudden appearance.
Legolas set the tent up while Maqueden sat on the ground, her legs crossed. When he finished he sat beside her, his hand touching hers. She smiled. "I've dreamt of this day for as long as I could remember." She said quietly. Legolas smiled and took her hand.
"I love you." He whispered. Maqueden smiled and turned her gaze from the ground to his face.
"I love you too." She murmured.
Legolas drew her into an embrace and held her, very aware of how she seemed to fit perfectly against him. He brushed his lips against hers and their foreheads touched, both holding desperately to a dream that they both knew could never true. Maqueden voiced this matter.
"Legolas? What if... What if this doesn't work?"
"We'll cross that bridge if we get there." Legolas answered, his eyes traveling up and down her face. Why had he never noticed how beautiful she was?
"You never did tell me of the fellowship." Maqueden whispered. Seeing Legolas cringe, she added, "And you don't have to, I was just saying..."
"No, it's all right. I'll tell you." And he did, talking late into the night until they both fell asleep. Locked in a lover's embrace. ____________________________________________________________________________ _______
Elenna grinned as she read the note Maqueden had left. Her sister was obviously very happy... Which made her pain even worse. In previous times, Maqueden had been there to share her pain. Now she was gone, chasing after Legolas and a dream that wouldn't come true. It would never work! There were less than 9 months until the wedding!
Her thoughts turned to her own wedding. She and Astoldominien should have already been married with children. But... there was a slight problem. He was gone. To where, she did not know.
She was to have wed Astoldominien a week after he disappeared. Instead, everything crumbled around her shoulders and left her shocked and alone, once again. With a sigh, she went outside to weed her garden. Maybe talking to someone would help... but it never did.
A/N: Okies, shortER this time... Sorry... And thanks to ALL TWO REVIEWERS!!! *throws peanuts at everyone else*
Well, lemme see... what's going on in the world of me... Right-o... this summer I WILL NOT UPDATE REGULARLY. I won't be home a lot. Neither will my editor. I'm spending most of my summer somewhere other than my home, so... yeah...
Thankyou's!!!!!!!!!!!!
I –Love-Legolas- Thanks! The next is when things start to get interesting!!!!
Cherryfaerie- more is coming!!!!!!!!
Lgstarbaby- thanks!!!
Maqueden slept in the next day, waking up once early in the morning and hearing Elenna and some male talking quietly in her kitchen. Her exhausted mind did not comprehend who that male might be, however. Instead of realizing who he was, she rolled over with a groan and fell back asleep.
The next time she woke, the voices would not let her go back to sleep. The sunlight streaming through her window forced her to roll over. By the time she got settled, she was already so wide-awake there was no point in even thinking about trying to fall back asleep. With a sigh, she rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants, then ran her fingers through her tangled and disheveled hair.
Maqueden opened her door, and the age-old hinges swung open with a loud creak. The voices stopped abruptly, leaving the house in silence save for the chirping of a lone bird outside. With a sigh, Maqueden walked slowly down the hall to the kitchen.
As soon as she walked through the door, she turned right back around again, her face violently red. Elenna was in the kitchen with Legolas... Legolas... LEGOLAS?! Legolas, who had... kissed her, like some... idiot! She knew she would have to face him sooner or later, but why now?... Why now, when she had just woken up? Why not later, when other things had gone wrong?
She fled to her room and heard Elenna open the front door and leave the house. "Great," She thought. "I'm alone... in my house... with Legolas. Beautiful." She collapsed on her bed and closed her eyes.
Then she heard it- the telltale soft padding of feet across the cold stone floor. The footsteps came closer and closer, though they stopped when they were right outside her door. Maqueden did not open her eyes.
"Maqueden?" She heard Legolas ask. She savored the sound of his voice- his kiss had left them on shaky ground. This might be the last time she ever talked to him.
"What?" She asked. The word came out harsher than she planned. A single tear leaked out of the corner of her eye, and she silently cursed herself for crying.
She heard Legolas falter and almost felt his reluctance to continue speaking. "Can... Can we talk? About yesterday?"
"What is there to talk about?" She asked, her face turned to the wall. She really hoped her face didn't betray any emotions... and she hoped she wasn't blushing anymore. Two more tears fell.
"I didn't... I didn't mean... I couldn't... I just..."
Maqueden rolled over to face him. She didn't bother to wipe away her tears. "I understand." She said flatly.
Legolas noticed the tears falling from her eyes. "What did I do?! I love her! Why should she care?!" He thought to himself. His subconscious mind answered. "Because she may not love you, you fool." Legolas marveled at the possibility. Deciding it was now or never, he shakily asked, "Y-you do?"
"Sure. You were looking for a way out of everything. Guess you found it." She said blankly, her eyes unfocused.
"No! No, it isn't like that! Maqueden... I..." He stuttered, trying to still his fluttering heart and speak straight... she just had that effect on her.
"No, Legolas... I get it." Maqueden sighed and closed her eyes.
"Maqueden..." Legolas was starting to get frustrated. "Do you really think I would have kissed you if I didn't REALLY like you? That was my way of telling you. I mean, I can't just say, 'Maqueden, I love you', now can I?" There was a pause in which they both marveled at what he had just said. After a few seconds, Legolas said, "PLEASE tell me I didn't just say that out loud."
Maqueden sat up. Legolas walked very slowly toward her and sat down on the corner of her bed. She turned away, lost for words.
"Please talk to me."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"You don't understand!" Maqueden cried, carefully looking anywhere but at Legolas.
"What don't I understand? Explain it to me." Legolas whispered, tilting her chin up.
Maqueden looked away quickly away before she was held powerless under his gaze. "When I am around you... My mind is no longer my own." He locked eyes with her and she tried to look away again, but found it impossible to do so as she met his clear blue eyes. "You are the reason I live." She whispered.
Too late she realized that he was leaning towards her, and she toward him. Legolas laid a cool hand on her cheek and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Maqueden pulled away first, though she allowed herself to remain wrapped in his comforting embrace.
"We shouldn't do this. We can't. You're... engaged." Maqueden whispered, as she found herself drawn into his embrace and laid her head on his chest. "We should forget... forget this ever happened... and..." She trailed off in a whisper, all conscious thought lost as she met his crystal blue eyes.
"Ssh." Legolas brushed his lips against hers and laid a finger against her lips. "I am bound to you. I will never love another." And in the instant's silence, he claimed her mouth with his own, kissing her with all the love he could muster.
Maqueden stood stunned for a moment, then quickly pulled away, allowing herself to remain in his embrace. She found herself leaning on his chest for support- his kiss had left her knees shaking and they almost gave out under her weight. The thought of Kyriana tugged at her mind. "What are we going to do? Your father will kill us BOTH if he finds out." She whispered, too afraid to speak out lout- her words might shatter what was between them.
"We hide it for as long as we have to. I love you, Maqueden... I always will."
Legolas brushed his lips against hers, wiping away all her worry. Maqueden smiled, all thoughts gone from her head. She fell back on the bed, grinning like mad.
Legolas spoke after a while. "Just a question... How long..."
"I don't know. I lost count in the mid thousands."
Legolas sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. "You must think me incredibly stupid for not noticing."
"Never. It was not my intentions to tell you." Maqueden answered.
"Why not?"
"I was... young. I guess I thought it better to hide it from you than to tell you. It would be my secret. I wouldn't have to worry about you finding out and not feeling the same or anything, because I'd never know. In fact, until yesterday I hadn't planned to tell you anything."
Legolas smiled. "Look... about yesterday... I didn't mean any offense."
"No offense taken. You just... surprised me, that's all. You never acted like you felt anything more than friendship toward me, then you go off and kiss me... It just... scared me a bit, to be truthful." She grinned.
Legolas laughed. Maqueden smiled. Then, suddenly, their attitude turned serious. "What will your father say? Will he approve? I'm so worried..." Maqueden trailed off. "And Kyriana! You're supposed to love HER, not me. I mean, why me? I'm supposed to be your best friend... Not your lover."
"You... you because you love me for who I am, not what I am. Everyone else likes me because I'm the price, or I'm gorgeous, or whatever, but you... You ignored that and saw to my soul. And I love you so much for who you are... I don't know. There's a million and one reasons. I can't possibly name them all."
"Should... Should we keep this from Elenna, too?" Maqueden asked quietly, her head on his shoulder. Legolas was stunned. This was the first –and probably only- time that Maqueden had offered to keep something from her sister. Elenna didn't matter, though... If asked not to tell, she would die before she did so.
"Nah. You can tell Elenna. Just... ask her not to tell anyone else... You never know how word could get to Kyriana... Or worse... Ada." (father)
Maqueden smiled. "Well... What do you want to do with the rest of the day?"
"Wellllll... Tomorrow's a Sunday and you don't have to work, correct?"
"Mm hmm."
"Kyriana is still not allowed to leave the house and Elenna doesn't like camping too terribly much. Sooooooo... I was thinking... We could go camping. One last time... before... Everything changes. Next month we start planning the wedding. I'm not going to have any time."
"Legolas..." Maqueden said, about to make him swear not to try anything. But no, she thought, looking around the room for something to wear, he wouldn't do that anyway. He was a gentleman- he would wait. A grin made its appearance. "Let me get dressed and find something to eat. Then we can go."
As Maqueden shooed Legolas out of the room, the thought of her sister popped into her head. What would she think of the match? Would she be depressed? Would something horrible happen? Wiping the worry away, she produced a pair of pants and a loose shirt. She pulled her hair back into a braid and stepped out of the room and into the kitchen, expecting to see Legolas but instead seeing only the kitchen as it had always been- empty. Deciding he must have gone to find Elenna, she found some Lembas and wrapped them in a piece of cloth and set it in her pack, along with a canteen of water and a bar of soap, a change of clothes, and a brush.
Legolas appeared out of nowhere, a bit surprised to see her ready so quickly. With a grin he waited for her to finish her note to Elenna and followed her out of the house.
Instead of going to their usual camping site, Legolas led her to the one they had discovered a few months before- the one that had fallen from a fairy tale. In the spring it looked even more beautiful with everything in bloom. With a grin, he started off down the path. He had kept it clean since they discovered it, though the curtain of ivy was still there. As he pushed it aside, several birds took flight, startled by the two elves' sudden appearance.
Legolas set the tent up while Maqueden sat on the ground, her legs crossed. When he finished he sat beside her, his hand touching hers. She smiled. "I've dreamt of this day for as long as I could remember." She said quietly. Legolas smiled and took her hand.
"I love you." He whispered. Maqueden smiled and turned her gaze from the ground to his face.
"I love you too." She murmured.
Legolas drew her into an embrace and held her, very aware of how she seemed to fit perfectly against him. He brushed his lips against hers and their foreheads touched, both holding desperately to a dream that they both knew could never true. Maqueden voiced this matter.
"Legolas? What if... What if this doesn't work?"
"We'll cross that bridge if we get there." Legolas answered, his eyes traveling up and down her face. Why had he never noticed how beautiful she was?
"You never did tell me of the fellowship." Maqueden whispered. Seeing Legolas cringe, she added, "And you don't have to, I was just saying..."
"No, it's all right. I'll tell you." And he did, talking late into the night until they both fell asleep. Locked in a lover's embrace. ____________________________________________________________________________ _______
Elenna grinned as she read the note Maqueden had left. Her sister was obviously very happy... Which made her pain even worse. In previous times, Maqueden had been there to share her pain. Now she was gone, chasing after Legolas and a dream that wouldn't come true. It would never work! There were less than 9 months until the wedding!
Her thoughts turned to her own wedding. She and Astoldominien should have already been married with children. But... there was a slight problem. He was gone. To where, she did not know.
She was to have wed Astoldominien a week after he disappeared. Instead, everything crumbled around her shoulders and left her shocked and alone, once again. With a sigh, she went outside to weed her garden. Maybe talking to someone would help... but it never did.
A/N: Okies, shortER this time... Sorry... And thanks to ALL TWO REVIEWERS!!! *throws peanuts at everyone else*
Well, lemme see... what's going on in the world of me... Right-o... this summer I WILL NOT UPDATE REGULARLY. I won't be home a lot. Neither will my editor. I'm spending most of my summer somewhere other than my home, so... yeah...
Thankyou's!!!!!!!!!!!!
I –Love-Legolas- Thanks! The next is when things start to get interesting!!!!
Cherryfaerie- more is coming!!!!!!!!
Lgstarbaby- thanks!!!