Chapter 152:
"Elladan, I-
"Why are you with that… Thing?" An elf asked, coming forwards to the two close friends.
"It is not very nice to call your princess a thing." Elladan frowned, his grip on Illiendal tightening.
"I was talking about you." The elf said, pushing a bit of his pale hair behind his ear.
"What are you doing at the palace, Eleyond?" Illiendal asked, not moving from Elladan's side.
"Eleyond? You know him?" Elladan asked quietly in Illiendal's ear.
"Yes she did. I am Sernaer's brother. I am here because I am a guard, remembering?"
"I remember now. Eleyond, could you leave us be?"
"No. Sernaer is dead and you now love that ugly half-mortal? Sernaer would be in pieces if he found out!"
"Sernaer told me that because he was dead it did not mean that I had to spend my life missing him, he said to find someone else who loves me just as much as he did. I love Elladan very much, and I know he loves me, I've known him for years now."
"That means nothing! You knew Sernaer and his family for years too. If anyone should get you after his death, it should be me!" Eleyond said, looking down at Elladan's fractured leg and smiling.
"That is stupid Eleyond. Illiendal should be allowed to choose who she loves, not just because they are related to someone who died. If she loves me, then she does, and you have no right to stop her."
"Then I challenge you to a duel."
"But-
"If you do not participate then I get Illiendal."
"And what type of duel would this be?"
"To death." Eleyond grinned.
"What?" Elladan sprang up and whimpered at the pain in his leg.
"Sernaer died because he loved Illiendal, and so one of us will too." Eleyond grinned.
"I cant! My leg is broken!"
"So then you give up and I get the princess?"
"No… No! ELROHIR!"
Elrohir came running and Eleyond then learnt that there was two of the damned elf that was with his brother's love.
"He will fight for her, since I cannot." Elladan said, lying back down as Elrohir took his blade. Eleyond pulled his out.
"What if Elrohir gets killed?" Illiendal asked. Elladan pat his blade.
"I would never let that happen."
The two elves fought for half an hour. Both where bloody by the time Elrohir had Eleyond in a corner sword less.
Elrohir placed his blade on Eleyond's throat and pushed slightly, making Eleyond bleed.
"I wont kill you, but if you don't leave my brother and the princess alone I will." Elrohir moved his blade from Eleyond's throat. Eleyond reached over to grab his blade but Elrohir threw his blade down and made a gash in Eleyond's arm.
"Don't attack me, don't attack my brother, and don't attack the princess or anyone who is not on Sauron's side. Stay away from my twin, he loves Illiendal and you cannot have her." Elrohir said, moving his blade once again and leaving Eleyond to return to his twin. Eleyond stood up and glared at Elladan.
"Ha! I win!" Elladan smirked, grabbing Illiendal gently and pulling her close to himself to kiss her.
"No, your twin won."
"But I do not love Illiendal like my brother does. I want him to love her." Elrohir said, smiling as his brother kissed the princess.
Eleyond stood up, tearful, and turned to leave.
"Eleyond, please don't be mad." Illiendal whispered.
Eleyond looked back, glared at both Illiendal and Elladan, and left.
"Elladan I am sorry about him." Illiendal whispered, looking at her friend sadly.
"Ah don't worry about it, as long as you still love me I don't care… Elrohir are you alright?" Elladan noticed his twin was tending to a bleeding wound Eleyond had given him.
"I am fine." Elrohir said. "Get back to your new friend." Elrohir grinned. "I will leave you two…"
Elrohir left and Elladan sighed.
"I'm sorry, maybe I should not have… I mean, Eleyond's brother only died two years ago…"
"Elladan, don't worry about it! Sernaer said to me to find someone who loves me, and I believe that you love me, and I love you." Illiendal said. Elladan smiled happily.
"I've always liked you, a lot, but I thought I was just strange and I was in love with a princess who would never love me. I told Tonus once when we where elflings and he called it puppy love. But I really do love you."
"I love you too. A lot." Illiendal whispered, kissing Elladan on his cheek.
"Thirsty? Or hungry?" Elladan asked, and then blushed. "Never mind. I can't get up to get you anything!"
"Ai, it's alright Elladan." Illiendal smiled. "I know your hurt, and it's not at all your fault. It's my brother's fault."
----------------------------------------------
Legolas was restless. He knew that in a few hours Haldir would wake up, feed him and they would be heading back to Mirkwood. As much as Legolas missed his father and siblings, he was having a good time with Haldir.
Haldir's heavy arms where wrapped around Legolas, holding him tightly. Legolas slid out of Haldir's grasp, grabbed his teddy bear and ran out of the room. Legolas walked up countless numbers of stairs and saw millions of flowers before he was in someone else's room.
Galadriel's room.
Legolas hid under the bed, but unknown to him Galadriel had seen him tiptoe into the room, she had not been asleep – Celeborn was, of course, needing a lot of sleep to prepare for that day when Haldir would come to him in the middle of the night.
Galadriel did not plan on taking the elfling, reprimanding him or sending him back to Mirkwood just yet. Legolas could have some fun hiding and Haldir could panic (Galadriel still had yet to get back at Haldir for what he had done on guard duty a month back).
Legolas began to set up camp beneath Galadriel's bed. He had no idea whose bed he was under, but the floor was soft. Legolas had brought with him a bear, a blanket and a muffin. Legolas nibbled the muffin, clutched his bear and curled up on the blanket.
"Good night teddy."
To be continued…Thank you for the suggestions.