CHOICES IN LOVE

Disclaimer: The title LOTR and it's brilliant characters belongs to the great mind of J.R.R Tolkien. As for the others, Miya (Mee-yah) and the rest, they're part of my hyperactive imaginative mind.


Chapter 2 - Leaving You

That Night, dinner time....

Miya walked into the dining room and saw Thranduil and Legolas talking quietly as they ate dinner. It wasn't like her to be late but she had some things to be taken care of immediately. Legolas already suspects something was amiss with her but she also knew that he wouldn't press her with the matter. Right now, he was going to know that in less than a day, she would be gone on a mission that didn't include him.

From birth, they had been inseparable but the time has come for them to go on their separate paths. It pained her to know that she had to put duty above everything else, including the only family she had ever known.

"Your HAIR! What have you done to your hair you fool of a girl?!" Legolas said with a shocked tone. Standing up, he went to her and fingered the shortened hair, which now resembled a pixie's hair. It was now cropped close to her pointy ears. Before she cut it, it had been down to her waist. "Why did you cut your hair? You know I loved your hair," he said, truly saddened that it was gone.

Miya bit her lower lip. She didn't want to make it any harder but his attention to her hair, being only one of the few who knew that she possessed a very beautiful mane was too much. Breathing loudly, she looked at Thranduil for help. And he did, walking towards the two friends.

"Why did you cut it? I knew you liked to hide it but not to the point that you'd want to cut it!" Legolas said to his friend.

"I needed to cut it Legolas, I will be away for a while—" she started with difficulty.

"Then I'm going with you, I always go with you---" he interrupted her.

"She's going alone, this time without you, my son," Thranduil said quietly.

"I—I do not understand father," he said with a confused look. "You know that Miya and I always go together," he said, stressing the word, together.

"I have to do this alone Legolas. This time we're taking different paths," Miya said softly, looking down at her soft boots. "I am going to Rivendell to be one of their captains. They need more protectors and Thranduil and Lord Elrond asked me if I could help. I can help Legolas, Lord Elrond needs me there," she explained, hoping that he would understand.

"Why can't I go?" Legolas asked fiercely to his father. "I can help too!"

"Mirkwood cannot be left unprotected my son. Almiya will be sent to Rivendell from Mirkwood since she is one of the best that we have. You will be staying here to protect Mirkwood. We cannot be selfish Legolas, both elven kingdoms cannot be left unprotected," Thranduil said, placing a hand on Legolas' shoulder.

Now Legolas was really confused and hurt. Turning to Miya he asked slowly, "Since when have you known that you were leaving me—-Mirkwood- without me?"

Miya looked at Thranduil helplessly but Thranduil just shook his head. "Since last winter," she answered, barely in a whisper.

"Last winter?! That was four months ago!" Legolas repeated angrily. "You knew that you were leaving all that time and you didn't have enough elfin guts to tell me that you are leaving?! I thought we tell each other everything Miya!"

"Please Legolas, I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want to leave but I cannot leave Rivendell, my other home, unprotected! Don't hate me Legolas, I am sorry," Miya said, biting her lower lip before she clutched her bow as a silent tear raced down her flushed cheeks.

But Legolas chose not to hear what she said but turned to Thranduil. "For how long." The question was spoken more like of a statement.

"Until Rivendell needs her. A year, a decade, a century, even a millenium, we don't know Legolas," Thranduil said, tiredness overwhelming his aristocratic features. "You can visit her any time you want. It's not as if she would be gone,"

"You don't understand, she is like my blood. I am her, she knows me better than I know myself! I haven't been away from her side for less than a day and you both expect me to understand this?"

"Legolas," Miya started, trying to calm him down. "We have been friends for so long and you're right, you also know me better than I know myself. But you know that this won't be the last time we would be seeing each other. It took me two weeks to decide to take upon this mission before I accepted. I realized that we've become far too much dependent on each other and it's time to see that there are other people around us," she said, laying a hand on his cheek before he recoiled from it. "Please understand Legolas, we will see each other again,"

"But not soon enough," Legolas said finally, looking at her and his father for the last time before walking out of the dining room.

Miya looked at his retreating form, hoping that he would turn back and say that he understood. She loved him like a brother and it pained her to see him hurting. A small smile came upon her lips for she knew that one vase in his room would be broken in less than a minute. Legolas hasn't learned much self-control yet.

"I really did it this time, didn't it?" Miya asked Thranduil wryly. Not only was she leaving her only friend in the world, but also the only parental figure she had. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed heavily.

"We, my dear, did it this time," Thranduil answered, patting her shoulder, glancing at her shortened hair. "You didn't have to cut your hair though,"

"It was going to be a hassle if I didn't cut it," she explained shortly. "I do hope that he comes around though," she added. "I will be leaving in the morn and I don't want to leave him this way."

"You know Legolas, he will see reason in the morn. Don't worry about it," Thranduil said. After a while he looked down at the daughter he had adopted and said, "You do know that only Legolas can visit you and you can't leave Rivendell for any reason at all until you are in their service, right?"

Miya definitely knew something about that. Legolas can't stay away from Mirkwood for a long time and that meant shorter visits from him. Even that, she was still skeptical. Legolas would have some matters to attend to, not just guarding Mirkwood but also playing the part of the prince. "I know, sadly, I know that fact all too well. Thranduil, you know that I did this out of duty, right? I don't like leaving Legolas," she said. Thranduil nodded silently.

Seconds later, they heard a crash from upstairs akin to thousands of glass shards scattering on the marble floor upstairs. Legolas' room.

Thranduil sighed. "Looks like another priceless dwarf creation was destroyed," he said grimly, shaking his head.