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.
A/N: I LOVE Legolas, not Orlando Bloom. BIG, VERY BIG, difference. Ya'll can have O.B. for all I care, just let me have Legolas.
Chapter 11
Miya had to get out or she knew in her heart, she will die. Rushing out from the ballroom as inconspicuously as she could, she slipped out the french doors and welcomed the darkness of the balcony with all her heart. She thought of crying her heart out but her mind told her that crying wouldn't solve any problem and what use will that bring? It wasn't going to solve anything, it would just add up to her misery. First, it was losing her family for more than half a century because of duty. Then now, she was going to be married to the man she loathed most for he had abandoned her when he promised that he wouldn't....again because of duty!
Damn it Miya, why is duty so important to you? Miya asked herself angrily. Then as was always, the answer came rushing to her in an instant. Because people are counting on you to make everything right, even at the expense of your own. She scoffed and shook her head in disgust at her own actions.
A week ago, she had no worries. She had done good in forgetting Legolas' existence after the incident in the woods and she was again in bliss for Gregor had said 'I Love You' to her that morning. But things can't seem to stay happy, everything had a price in life. Two days later, Elrond summoned her to his study. He had been another father in her life and she had been so close to him and would have done anything to make him happy....big mistake.
Elrond told her in a business-like manner about the situation that Thranduil had discussed to him months back, that Mirkwood will be having a new king, thus a new queen.
flashback
"Do you remember Legolas, Miya?" Elrond asked her.
"Of course I do Elrond. Why do you ask? I know he is going to be the next king but what does it have to do with me?" Miya said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
"Mirkwood needs a queen,"
"And?"
"Thranduil asked me to say something to this lady about it. She has been chosen centuries ago to the be queen," Elrond said mildly.
Miya shook her head in amusement before smirking. "So you want me to tell her that she is going to be the queen of Mirkwood since I practically know everyone in Rivendell? You just had to ask me Elrond, you know I would do it, it's not a problem," Miya said in an affectionate tone to Elrond, joining him out in the balcony near the railing.
"Actually, to tell you the entire truth my dear, I am already asking her to be the queen at this very moment," Elrond answered, looking far ahead at the acres of land Rivendell possessed.
Silence ensued after that. No words would come out of Miya's mouth for she merely had drawn them into a thins straight line, her eyes in slits. "Elrond, look at me at tell me straight out what you ask of me," she said in a stony manner.
And that Elrond did. "Almiya, you have always known that Rivendell is only your surrogate home. Mirkwood for you is home. That is the reason Thranduil selected you, not that he needed to chose. He had you in his mind for Legolas for almost a millenium and just chose you officially seven hundred years ago."
"Legolas Greenleaf, my former best friend, married to me?" Miya said in a deadly voice, in a mere whisper that spoke volumes. "You must be mistaken in this notion Elrond for what you ask of me is impossible,"
"Nothing is imposs—"
"It IS impossible Elrond! Face it, I cannot be married to a man that I hate. Maybe this is not the right time to tell you this but I AM engaged!"
Now it was Elrond's turn to be stunned. "Engaged, Almiya? Since when?!"
"Since a month ago. Gregor is my fiancé and we WILL be married. I will be married to a man I LOVE not hate! It is impossible Elrond, very, very impossible. If I didn't know you, I would say that you are mad!"
Elrond shook his head and walked nearer the enraged elleth, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Miya, I have treated you like one of my daughters and took you in, asking of you nothing in return. Mirkwood now needs our help, they need you now. Your time in Rivendell is over, you ARE going back to Mirkwood. As for your engagement, I am not giving you the blessing you need, it may seem harsh but Legolas will be a much suitable husband. You will learn to love him in time and forgive him for his misgivings! I do not believe that it is too late, he might have done you wrong before—"
"I get your point Elrond," Miya said succinctly. "Have you heard nothing from what I said? It will be impossible, I love someone else!"
"You used to love Legolas too Miya!"
"USED to is the operative word Elrond! I am in love with another now!"
"I will say this to you one last time and I hope that you will feel what it means just like how you felt compelled to come here to Rivendell seventy years ago. Thranduil is leaving. Legolas will be the next king and he needs someone to be beside him as he rules Mirkwood. You can help him for you understand him. I will be bringing you to Mirkwood in a week, kicking and screaming, I don't care," Elrond said in a commanding tone before leaving Miya in the study alone.
I used to understand him, Miya thought angrily at her surrogate father. Her head pounding from the news that hit her like a ton of orc arrows.
end of flashback
If fate wasn't cruel enough, it was Gregor who escorted her into the banquet that night. He understood Miya's side that she didn't want it to happen, he blamed Elrond, Thranduil and especially Legolas, just like Miya. But Miya placed duty above all else and went to Mirkwood without much fuss in her face, but in her heart, her feelings were wreaking havoc.
Legolas watched Miya slip out of the ballroom without getting noticed by anyone except him. Watching her from the doors leading to the balcony, he couldn't help but think about the fix that they were in. He had no idea that it was going to be her. She said that his bride wouldn't like him, and she did say the truth. He thought that it was the blonde who was going to be his wife and she happily played with his mind. He learned that Niccola was really a part of Miya's group and she was playing lady's companion to her while she was in Mirkwood.
My wife.... Legolas thought to himself. Seeing that is was his best friend walk through the door was too much to handle. It would have been okay if she didn't hate him. He knew that in time she would love him just like he was learning to love her that way from the time she caught him walking behind her in the arbor. Things had considerably grown different between them, he had a growing attraction for her indeed.
Standing nwxt to the door frame far too long already, he decided to join her. The cool breeze of the night air cut through his dark velvet tunic and he wondered how Miya was standing the cold. There was no need to indicate his presence to her for he knew she would know it already an not be startled at all. But he was wrong.
"Enjoying the night?" he asked, glancing at her profile for a while and caught that she was indeed startled. "Something on your mind?"
Miya started to turn around and walk away, "Quite the contrary," she answered sarcastically. "And it's none of your business." She barely took three steps away when she felt a warm hand come into contact with her skin. "I would sorely suggest that you remove your hand from my arm Legolas, right now," she said with a warning tone.
"We do need to talk Miya," Legolas said softly at her.
"How do you feel about an arrow in the middle of your forehead if you do not let go of my arm?"
"Ten minutes is all I ask,"
"Let go of my arm. NOW."
"Five, please."
"Five, flat."
Legolas nodded and led her back to the railing, this time curving his arm to the small of her back to share the warmth of his tunic for the gown that she wore had a low back. She didn't seem to mind or just didn't take note of it.
"Are we just going to stand here or are you actually going to say something?" she asked in a cool manner, moving a little away from him.
"Ah, well about us—"
"There is no 'us' yet Legolas, nor do I think there ever will be," Miya said darkly. "I think I may just start this conversation, I was forced to do this. Against my will Legolas, I vowed to myself never to see you again or talk to you for seeing you reminds me of my past pains. So do not mistake that I did this willingly."
"I suspected that," he answered back sardonically. "The look on your face when you entered the ballroom was enough to curdle cow's milk."
Miya watched as the breeze played with his long blonde hair. Oh how she wished that things were different, that Legolas kept his promise to her. But all she had now were regrets that her life was going to be spent for all eternity with him. She felt the concern that he had for her when he placed his arm around her back to ward off the cold but that wasn't enough to take back half a century of pain.
"Did you chose me?" Miya asked after a few seconds of silence, not looking at Legolas.
"Choose you? You mean, to be my wife?" he asked with a surprised look before shaking his head. "I was told that I was to have a queen with a sharp tongue from Rivendell, it never crossed my mind that it would be you. I did not chose you for I was still trying to think of ways to come and visit you and come out of Rivendell still breathing," he said lightly.
"I highly doubt that," Miya muttered to herself. But Legolas heard it with his hearing.
"We can work this out Miya, all I need to fulfill this is to rule Mirkwood with you and have a son by you, an heir. You don't think that would be hard, do you?" he teased her.
He got his answer in the form of a handprint on his left cheek. "Lasciviousness never became you Legolas, don't start now with ME for you have always known that I won't take it with a grain of salt. I do believe that our five minutes is up," she said icily before walking away.
"Miya, wait," Legolas said behind her. He looked at the top of her head when she stopped.
"What do you want Legolas?" she asked, turning around and brushing the tip of her nose to Legolas' cheek. She stumbled backwards and almost fell is not for Legolas strong arms coming around her back.
"Easy, love," he whispered, helping her stand up. But after she stood perfectly still, she unclasped her body from his before she could lose her eyes in the dark pools of his.
Arranging her dress, "As I asked, what do you want?"
"Why do you loathe me so? Aside from 'abandoning you' as you say?" he asked, swallowing when he saw the internal pain that crossed Miya's face.
"Loathe," Miya repeated, shaking her head. "Why do I loath you so Legolas? I loathe you for you play a part in breaking my former engagement,"
"You're engaged?" Legolas asked incredulously to her.
"I WAS engaged. I was forced to break it off to be engaged to YOU. To break an engagement from a man I love with all my heart to be engaged to another man whom I hate," she paused to look at him before continuing. "And so I loathe you for playing a big part in stopping me from getting married and finally finding real love from someone who won't leave me," she said softly, pain emitting from every word.
