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Chapter 3 : Ithilien

Time passed, and Ithilien blossomed under the care of both the Elves brought by Legolas and the Men led by Faramir. Everyone who saw it fell in love with it's exquisite beauty, and the feeling of life that was all around. Over time Háthien came to love Ithilien just as she had loved Mirkwood. She had found her peace, and her happiness.

She knew not what she would have done without Legolas. Her first few days in Ithilien were tainted by homesickness, and he had been by her side as often as he could, caring for her, making sure that she was all right. Even now, he would make time for her after he had fulfilled his duties. He looked after her just as Celoril would have done if he had been alive. Háthien was grateful to have Legolas in her life. Yet with that came the one discontentment in her life. She had come to realise that the feeling that came over her whenever she saw his face was special, that she only felt this way when she was around him. She had come to realise that she loved him, and not in the way that she had loved Celoril. But he looked to her only as a sister, and she did not want to risk this relationship that they had, so she played along, hiding her true feelings, and treating him as a brother. The way he expected to be treated.

"Háthien!"

She turned and smiled, seeing a stout, bearded dwarf coming towards her. "Good morning, Gimli," she said. "It is good to see you in Ithilien again."

Gimli, named Elf-friend for his great friendship to Legolas, came to Ithilien just as often as Legolas went to the Glittering Caves. The friendship the odd pair shared was strong, and nothing could possibly break the trust they had for each other. Now Háthien often joined them whenever Gimli came to Ithilien. The dwarf held Háthien in high regard, admiring her for her strength and spirit, while she admired him for his courage and joviality.

"And it is good to see you as well," he replied with a twinkle in his eye. "You seem more beautiful each time I see you."

"You flatter me too much, Gimli. I know for a fact that I do not look any different. You're just saying it to please me."

"Perhaps he is saying it so that I will not fight him." Legolas had come up to them, grinning broadly.

Háthien laugh. "The two of you never fight."

"For you, we might," Gimli remarked. "Legolas is extremely protective whenever it comes to anything concerning you."

Háthien blushed. "He is too much of an older brother for me," she said truthfully.

"But don't you like me, gwathel? If you would prefer to fend for yourself, I could always do my best to keep my distance," Legolas said jokingly. He knew that his comment would make Háthien smile. Recently he had found himself doing his best to say things that would bring a smile to her face. Her smile was something he looked forward to seeing every single day, and it was the first thing that came to his mind every morning when he watched the sun rise.

She did smile. "Of course I like you, gwanur. I wouldn't be here if I didn't like your company."

"And neither would I," Gimli said quickly. "If I had to choose between the both of you, I would rather be in the company of a beautiful maiden than a well-groomed elf prince."

Legolas laughed at his best friend's joke. "Then I am glad that I have found a way into Háthien's good books, or I would be a very lonely person."

They all laughed, sitting down on the ground, leaning against a tree as they liked to do on the cool, refreshing mornings. It was these moments that Háthien truly lived for, to be sitting between the one she loved and a friend she trusted. It was in these moments when she felt all the love that she used to take for granted. It was the thought of these moments that helped her get through the bad nights, when loneliness crept into her heart, and she missed her family even more than ever.

Gimli laughed out loud suddenly. "I was just thinking about the time when Legolas and I first met," he said. "We just could not get along!"

"Gimli had a remarkable gift at always finding ways to get on my nerves," Legolas told Háthien. "Even until now, I cannot think how he had that talent."

"You speak as if you never got on my nerves!" Gimli retorted.

"Indeed, I think that I always behaved most graciously," Legolas joked.

"You two must have been such a pain for the rest of the Fellowship! It was a wonder that they didn't try to lose you on the journey," Háthein said with a laugh.

Gimli cleared his throat. "Actually, with all the fighting and running we had to do, I think they did try."

Their laughter rang out in the gardens, and all who overheard knew that the Lord of the Glittering Caves was in Ithilien, and in the company of Legolas and his adopted sister Háthien.

They chatted on for a while, talking of anything that came to their minds. Then Háthien stood up. "Well, I should be going now, there are things that I have to do," she said. "I'll see you both later in the day, then." She walked off, turning to wave goodbye. Legolas and Gimli watched her go.

"When are you going to tell her?" Gimli asked casually.

Legolas turned to look at him, surprised. "I don't understand; tell her what?"

"That you don't want her as a sister, but as… something else."

Legolas's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"Come, Legolas, we've been friends for such a long time. I know you all too well. The way you behave around her is just different from how you behave around other elfmaidens. Or have you not noticed that yourself?"

"I thought I hid it well," Legolas muttered. He sighed. "She looks to me as a brother. To her, I am just like a replacement of the brother she loved and lost. I can't take that away from her. If I tell her, things would never be the same again."

"So you'll just keep quiet? For how long? Forever?"

"Yes, forever."

"At the expense of your own heart?"

Legolas sighed again. "Yes, even that."