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The Forbidden Realm

She got up and stood beside him looking where he was. She waved a hand in front of his face. Nothing.

Legolas got up as well. "What is wrong with him?" he asked also looking where he was. As he did he too was captured by the hypnotic something. She now realized that the rest of the fellowship was under it's spell and she was the only sane one there. She looked again, harder, and saw it. A small glowing light, swirling back and forth. Muttering a few words in Elvish she gently touched her skin to Legolas' at the last word and he jerked out of his trance.

Blinking a lot, as though he had just woken up he looked at her in amazement. "What happened? I don't remember a thing but I think I was either sleeping or in a coma."

She pointed towards the light. "It's that it's meant to hypnotize and capture any intruders in the land. It's quite effective as you can plainly see." He moved between the rest of them and muttered the Elven words; touched her skin to them and they all fell out of their trances asking questions like 'What was that?' and 'Where am I?'

Finally Aragorn rose his voice and asked in a calm tone, "What was that, why were you not effected, and how did you get us out of the trance?"

"Well the elves who live here have a great intolerance of the weak of mind. Only the Elves with the strongest and wisest mind can avoid the light and enter unharmed. If you fall into the spell of the light then you are sent back with no memory of this place." She answered slowly. "The light is simply a magical illusion and I got you out of it with a simple counter spell. It's really easy to learn I'll teach it to you sometime but right now we've got company." She turned around and a few of the Elves she had spoken have revealed themselves.

The first, who seemed to be the captain, was taller then the rest. His hair was shorter then you would expect of an elf and it was not done in any fashion, just let to hang from his head. His eyes were a deep green and he wore a pale blue tunic made of silk or satin or some other fine material. His three companions shared most of his features and stood loyally behind him.

"You have entered the Forbidden Realm. Why are you here?" he questioned bluntly.

Aradel stepped forward and answered. "We are the fellowship of the ring, we are on a journey to reach the black gates. We have stumbled on your realm, lost through the fog and are in desperate need for direction, food, clothing, and wash. We mean no harm."

He thought for a moment, eyeing them each carefully in turn and motioned at them, "Follow me, I shall lead you to the palace of Lady Duriel. I am Cemendur." They followed silently along a path of earth light with small, ghostly lanterns, which gave the air a cold lonely feel to it. The fog was forever thickening adding to the eerie essence of the path.

They were lead for several, long minutes when the city came into site. It was a grand city, filled with well lit houses that were shaped as domes with rounded squares and rectangles for windows and doors. There were a few main buildings, halls or other sorts, that were of the same style but arched more tightly towards the sky. All the buildings had small, intricate designs of moons, stars, clouds, lighting, and other element of the weather or night. The streets were lit with lanterns hung high on posts of shiny metal. Though the city was very well lit they could not see but a foot ahead of them anymore, by cause of the fog.

There was a huge building at the back end of the city, the palace, constructed in a different manor. It was made of many sections of sharp cubes and prisms, a ground level layer, and one tower, high and proud, separating into five prongs at the top. The strange captain led them to the divinely carved steps and told them to wait while the remaining three guards encircled them. He entered through the large white doors and quickly closed them behind him shooting them a suspicious glance.

"What is this place?" Legolas asked leaning in towards Aradel.

Pippin and Merry nodded. "Indeed, where are we?"

She gave a comically offended step backwards. "What makes you think I know anything of the Forbidden Realm? I know as much as you do of this place. It does look fascinating doesn't it, I would love to stay here and study or something." She retorted looking around interestedly. They looked very unconvinced but said nothing and sighed in frustration.

She was about to say something disapproving of their mistrust but was interrupted by the opening of the doors again. The were told to go in by the three guards. They did and with a spring in their step, for they were anxious to see what marvels would lie inside. It was something about the air that created a mood of excitement and wonder.

The inside was overall what they expected, amazingly beautiful. The main architectural style was white marble, carved with the familiar designs from outside, with gold lining around the ceiling and along the corners. There was a strip of gold breaking the walls into two sections. There were no candles and the light seemed to come from the very walls. There was one lonely window in the wall opposite them, above another set of doors. No light shone through it though, for it faced the dark forest. Every one of them was astonished by the sheer beauty and purity the palace seemed to represent. It was furnished with dark colored wood draped with matching cloth and fat, fluffy pillows. There were a few chairs and a bench sort of thing.

He led them down several halls, up many flights of stairs, and around countless corners and bends, until they were finally outside what was apparently the royal lounging room. It seemed they were in the enormous tower they had noticed earlier.

"This way." Cemendur opened the great white doors, tinted lightly with blue. Aradel in the lead, they walked in and found themselves in the presence of a fair lady, with pale blue eyes and a long flowing blue dress like the night sky. It was in great contrast with the surrounding white room. Beside her sat a great lord, with matching eyes and he wore a royal silver tunic, also of deep midnight blue.

Cemendur stepped ahead of the fellowship and bowed on one knee. They followed him uncertain of their fate. "Lady Duriel and Lord Ornendin, this fellowship has wondered into Durien and have the mind to avoid the trap of light." He informed her. She gave them each a piercing stare and waved for them all to stand.

"Why have you been sent on said quest? What purpose is hoped to be accomplished?" she asked them with a friendly smile which seemed not to suit her.

Aragorn spoke now and answered, "We are going to Mordor to meet the Hobbits Frodo and Sam who carry the ring of power. They are meant to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom. We were lost in the fog, when Cemendur found us and led us here." Everyone nodded along nervously with him as he spoke.

Ornendin and Duriel spoke in whispers behind their hands for a moment then turned to them again. "You may stay for three days. We shall permit you to take some food and drink. You may rest our guest rooms. Then you will leave and never come back, and never speak of this place to any living soul. These are our conditions." He told them.

"We graciously except." Aradel said stepping forward and bowing. Aragorn shot her a disapproving look but said nothing.

Ornendin smiled, it seemed as though it were directed at Aradel but no one noticed or cared much. Smiling suited him more so then Duriel. "Good, follow Cemendur to your rooms and I shall send some servants up with a meal in a few moments."

He did as he was told and Cemendur led them out of the rooms and down several flights of stairs to the third floor. They twisted around many corners and finally stopped in a long hall with doors on each side of it. There were three doors for them to separate into. They were told to choose their own room arrangements and immediately Merry and Pippin hopped to each other's side and opened the door closest to them. After they had gone in Aragorn and Gimli paired up and went into the farthest room from where they had stood before.

Legolas and Aradel looked at each other and she said, "Well I guess you and I are stuck in a room. Come on." They walked to the door and pushed against it. It swung open with little effort. Both were stunned by the room.

It was colored all pale blue, decorated with more carvings and decorative candles that were specially made with an oil that made them burn a ghostly white instead of yellow or orange. Two, four poster, beds stood on each side of the room. Lace and satin were draped over the top and hung around the bed, acting as curtains. The room had one window set below the canopy and above the mattress of the bed farthest from them. Beside each bed there was a small table with an oil lamp, a brush, and a small piece of bread set on the large, soft pillow of the bed.

"Wow, this is amazing. I've never seen anything like it." Legolas commented walking over to the bed and staring at the walls.

"Yea, it's not too shabby. I mean the carving, alone, are exquisite." Aradel added laying a hand on one wall in awe.

"It will be wonderful to sleep in a warm bed again. And eat something other then Lambas bread." He said sticking out his tongue in disgust.

Aradel closed her eyes and opened them again in agreement. "Oh, yes, the cold hard ground was getting quite a bad influence on my sleep patterns. And I nice good steak would serve me well to compensate for all the bread I've eaten along the weeks." She laughed.

He laughed too and tossed her his bread pastry that had lain on his pillow. She tossed it, with hers, into one of the drawers provided with the bedside table. Simultaneously they jumped onto their beds, Aradel the one by the window and Legolas the other. Aradel hummed a tune in pleasure. Legolas simply sat shivering then sat up all of a sudden.

"What's the matter now? Is the bed not that of Mirkwood quality?" She teased playfully feeling quite in a good mood.

"No, the windows open and it's cold. Can you shut it, please?" he requested.

She looked at the window and sat up too. Standing up she grinned mischievously. Legolas gave her a look of warning. "What are you planning?" But by the time he had finished saying that she already had her leg and half of her body out of the window. He rushed over and looking worried tried to gently nudge her back in. "No, please, I've had enough adventure to last me a lifetime and I just want to sleep."

She smirked and tilted her head sympathetically. "No one can have enough adventure, and besides I only want to explore a little. Sleeping wastes precious time that we could be spending looking for fun things to do and I didn't say you had to come." With that she hopped onto the extremely thin edge and swung down to the ground with a thud, much to the horror of Legolas.

He turned back to the room; after all she had said he didn't have to come. And the bed was terribly inviting. He started towards it and paused. Frowning he turned again to the window and swung down to the ground to a smirking Aradel.

"Don't even start I just want to see the city that's all." He told her before she could start mocking him.

"Of course not. Besides, how could the unpersuasive me even consider trying to persuade strong willed you to do anything." She said grinning widely.

He put on a fake frown. "Don't patronize me!" he warned as they walked through the tall, dewy grass and onto the dirt road. They walked along it, through the deserted city, for a long time, just wondering in and out of the houses. Every once and a while they would stop and examine a particularly interesting building and try and figure out what the carvings meant.

They were far from the palace and on the outskirts of the forest when, while debating whether to go into the forest or not, they heard a strange voice behind them.

"Aradel? Is that you?" She cringed as she recognized the voice. Slowly turning around she smiled weakly facing the blonde-brown haired elf behind them.

"Rayan. How are you?" she said cheerfully to his scowling face.

"What do you mean how have I been? You know exactly how I've been since you stood me up! And now you have to nerve to show your face here again, and to talk to me in that cheerful tone of voice. I would slap you if it weren't such a feminine thing to do. And just who is the blondey over there?" He replied angrily. Aradel rolled her eyes and stepped to the side a bit, just out of habit, blocking Legolas out of view of Rayan.

"He's just a friend. You know I am aloud to have friends of the opposite sex." She replied dully.

"He looks like a boyfriend to me. How do I know he's not a boyfriend? I saw you two sneaking out of the window and you looked pretty close." He accused them squinting his eyes in suspicion.

Legolas stepped forward in defense. "I would never be involved with her in that way if she were the last female on the planet. And I don't even think I should be included in this conversation because I have no idea what on earth you guys are talking about. So from now on leave me out of it."

"Good so no more Legolas, just a friend and nothing more. Next sub-topic, please." She assured them and urged them to move on. No one really like where that was going so they did."

"OK why did you stand me up then?" he asked bluntly.

"It was complicated, I was leaving anyway. You wouldn't have understood and I didn't want to hurt your feelings." She retorted in a smart-alec tone. Legolas just stood in the background looking confused yet intrigued.

"So you left me at the altar, without a clue in the world where you are or where you're going and that is supposed to make me feel better? Are you crazy." He threw his hands up in the air signifying the insanity of the entire thing.

She looked calm and cool, the opposite as he looked, as she replied him, "Yes, I would like to think so. You've been on the playing field for a while and you've been dumped a few times worse then that why do you care so much?"

He calmed down and looked into her eyes. "Because I really cared about you and I was worried about your safety, although I do know you can take care of yourself I can't help it." He said hurriedly. "There I said it are you happy now?"

She smiled and nodded sympathetically. "Yes, quite. I'm sorry I ditched you and didn't tell you anything. And for breaking your bow that time."

"That was you?! I knew it. That's beside the point though." He paused awkwardly as if deciding whether to say or do something or not. "I'm willing to try again. Are you?"

Aradel shrugged comically. "Sure, why not? I like you a lot anyway so there's no reason not to. I would enjoy the company as well." She smiled and they hugged and kissed briefly but I won't bore or disgust you.

They made their way slowly back to the palace stopping at everything Aradel hadn't seen before or hadn't seen in a long time and wanted to see again. Rayan had his arm around her waist as they walked and stopped, pointed and watched as firefly's danced around their heads like tiny floating guides, leading them back. Legolas was unintentionally shunned to the back and forced to walk behind them on the thin roads.

Finally they were underneath their room window and Aradel and Rayan were saying their good-byes. Just as Legolas was about to jump up to the window he paused because he heard footsteps coming down the hall to the room. He nudged Aradel, put a finger to his mouth and shrunk into the shadows of a nearby bush.

"I have to go. I'll meet you here tomorrow." Rayan whispered then ran away.

She rolled her eyes and looked up towards the window to the person who had just entered their room and was walking around. They stopped for a moment, presumably looking around, then made their way to the window. It was revealed to be Lord Ornendin as he, somewhat casually leaned out the window on his forearms.

"Good evening Lord Ornendin!" she called up to him, "How has the night treated you?!"

He smiled amusedly. "Quite well, thank you. And you?" he replied friendly.

She jumped up the ledge of the windowsill and he stepped back to allow her to swing into the room. "Wonderful. I met an old friend on our way to the eastern forest. Rayan, do you know him?"

"We've met yes. You must be Aradel then. I must guess for you never gave your name to me did you?" He walked back towards the door and waved for her to follow. She did and they wondered the halls for a time.

"I am. Just for future reference I got the feeling Lady Duriel didn't like me. I got some very negative vibes from her. Not to mention the glaring." She informed him absent-mindedly.

"I got that as well. I can't imagine why you seem a very respectable young elf." He exclaimed casually.

Her eye twitched once or twice slightly. "Begging you pardon, sir, but I am not an elf. I am but a simple human, doomed to die."

"No pardons are in order, it was my mistake." He said bowing his head slightly in her direction which was a pretty big gesture considering his high political position. "I makes more sense for you, then, to marry Aragorn. I shall cherish the day you wed. After all a little white lie here and there never hurts." He smiled looking away from her; strait ahead down the new hall they just turned into.

She didn't reply but only shook her head laughing slightly. After a few more minutes of walking in silence they somehow found themselves back at her room. They bid each other goodnight and Lord Ornendin walked to his chambers as Aradel open the door to hers. She walked in and found Legolas sitting on the edge of his bed looking slightly irritated but mostly nosy.

"Well?" he asked smugly, leaning back in a more comfortable sitting position.

"Well what?" she replied taking off the over jacket of her tunic revealing the plain, dark green with brown buttons shirt she wore under it. She threw the heavy jacket on the floor beside her bedside table.

"What was the affair with Rayan about. I must pry as you know." He undid his own tunic over jacket, folded it neatly and lay it in the top drawer of his bedside table.

"Fine if you really must pry I'll tell you." She was about to say something paused and said, "In the morning." With that she lay back onto the soft pillows and blankets, shut her eyes and pretended to fall asleep.

Annoyed he got up and prodded her side with one end of his bow that he picked up while moving across the room. She grunted and attempted to swat it away.

Finally she sat up and he stopped. "Fine, just stop that incisive poking!" She swung her legs over the side of the bed and started the tale, rubbing her eyes. "I lived here for a brief period of time. And no I don't know whether I described it to you or not so don't even ask. I met him and we started dating."

"We dated for a long time, several years. One night he takes me into the woods to this really romantic sort of clearing and asks me to marry him. I was absolutely confused especially with my plans of moving away very soon. I said yes for reasons I no longer remember and we stayed pretty much the same for about two months. On the day of our wedding I left and he was stood up at the altar, looking like an idiot I imagine." Legolas sat in silence; leaning on his elbow's, hands folded in mid-air. She sighed and fell back again. "I do feel really bad about it and I regret not telling him but he wants to give it another go so I guess I at least owe him that much."

"Well that explains…very little, but enough." He said swinging his legs up onto the bed and lying down on the bed.

"Now can I go to sleep?" Aradel whined, or more like begged.

"Yes, yes you have my permission." He said through closed eyes waving an arrogant hand in her general direction.

She climbed into bed and covered her body with the soft, warm blankets, forgetting that she was still almost fully dressed. "Thank you, merciful master." She added sarcastically.

They awoke in the morning, warm and refreshed. Legolas had tried to sneak into the bathroom without Aradel noticing but failed and there was much playful commotion over who would get in first. Aradel eventually managed to beat him away from the door long enough for her to slip in and lock it from inside. He frowned and reluctantly sat on the bed waiting while scowling at the laughter from behind the door.

After a long time, he assumed was for hair mostly but was wrong for when she came out her hair was simply brushed and nothing more, he was let in the bathroom. When he was finished and they were both properly dressed they went down the various halls and into the dinning room where the rest of the fellowship had already assembled and started breakfast.

The pretty silver table was set with a tablecloth of linen and golden plates of ever kind of breakfast food you can think of. There were eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, ham, waffles, English muffins, toast, and various delicious beverages.

"Nice of you to join us, sleepy-heads." Pippin laughed through a mouthful of pancake and bacon.

"We stayed up later then you so don't mock me." She replied giving him the dirtiest look you've ever seen.

"Not a morning person I see." He mumbled under his breath piling more scrambled eggs onto his already full plate.

They took their seats at the only two free chairs, the two heads of the table. Both looked as though they had only slept for an hour or two. Then had an encounter with Death.

"What's wrong with you two?" Aragorn asked looking them both up and down as the spooned small amounts of food onto their plates.

"I am not a morning person. Nor, I think, is Aradel." Legolas replied bluntly. He began to butter his toast and pour some orange juice into the golden goblet.

"I am definitely not a morning person. I don't even think I'm awake yet. Pass the toast, please." She added reaching across the table to receive the toast Aragorn had passed to her.

"So as we were saying, in a few days we'll set out for Mordor again. We'll go over the Misty Mountains then, unfortunately, we must go through Fangorn Forest and that should take us near to Rohan. There I must meet with King Theoden. He should help us with the final battle and any other we may face." Aragorn told them.

"Cursed is that forest of Fangorn. Can we not go around it?" Gimli asked wolfing down as much food and mead as he could.

"I'm afraid not. It is the quickest way and every moment we waist in the open is one moment closer to death and the doom of our civilization as we know it." He replied solemnly.

There was an awkward pause where everyone continued eating but didn't look up. Then Aradel, of course, broke the silence. "So no pressure then." She joked.

Everyone laughed and started their conversations again. When they had finished eating they all went their separate ways. Aragorn to the armory to admire the weaponry of Durien. Gimli, Merry and Pippin went out to converse with the locals. Aradel went out under her bedroom to meet Rayan, and Legolas insisted on coming, though she knew his presence would have no effect on the meeting whatsoever.

"You're paranoid, you know that? I am not quite sure what of yet but I'll find out and when I do I'll be sure to hang it over your head for as long as you live." She had said when he had gotten his way and followed her out the main doors of the palace.

"And when you do will be the day I die. I assure you." He smiled and knew he would not be harmed under her watch. He wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing at the moment.

They wondered around the side of the building where Rayan was already waiting. They shared a brief hello kiss and walked around and in between the houses of the city. The people who occupied the houses were just starting to emerge stretching and yawning. It looked as though they had stayed up late as well.

"The Durien people stay up considerably later then most cities. Midnight or later. Some don't even sleep." Rayan explained as they walked by a strange elf in a zombie-like state. "Just like you. You barely ever slept did you?"

She tilted her head towards the cloudy, gray sky, recalling the memories. "Can't say I did, because if I did it would be a lie. Most people here sleep seven to five hours a night. I slept the same amount of time every week."

"Which was funny because you were the most energetic laughable person here. Everyone's always very serious around here, and it gets to be a bit of a bore." He said as they walked past a couple who waved cheerily at them.

A/N: Sorry for the terrible name. The Forbidden Realm was the best thing i could think of. I mean really if anyone wants to chip in some names or anything feel free because I"m not all the creative. Oh, and sorry if i spelt Forbidden wrong but my spell check wasn't working and i don't know whether it's forbidden forbbiden or forbiden. None of them look right to me. Now last and certainly not least, I am sorry for being late but i was really busy on saturday, really hectic and i sort of kind of forgot through all the pain(rapids in a river..hurts like heck) I warned you about Sunday though so you can't blame me. Sorry for the rambling but it's 10:44 and i havn't slept at all tonight. I'm trying to beat my neighbors record of 11:10 so he won't act so smug around me anymore. God, that gets annoying.Now on to reviewer responses my favorite part of the day. (which is true because then i get to look at how many reviews i have. If you haven't noticed it's twenty:D) Nehoo, bye-bye!:D

Elven Script: Glad you like it! And I'm trying as hard as i can to get chapters up to you people but my brother doesn't seem to understand that glares at brother