A/N: No. Thranduil is not a bad guy for those of you confused. He's good. (I'm not massacring all of my favourite elves!) neither is Legolas. They don't even know Malanion exists, or where Ardenia is. Legolas doesn't even know he has a half sister. He was away during her birth, and when she was taken. Now, I need feed back, so heres a nice long, smutty chapter for you.
Ardenia drew her blade. She swung, again and again, in movements that her body had memorised years before, and executed perfectly, despite the time that had passed since she had used a sword for such movements. When she had her sword in her hand, she forgot all, her mind possessed by a cool collectiveness that allowed her to fight on, no matter what the situation. She fought on with determination, swinging at invisible foes, in a dance so deadly that all those on the field so early turned to stare at her precision, and power, which even now, amazed even Ardenia. She swung. A blade came to meet hers, sending sparks flying in to the clearing of the courts. She found her gaze met by the resolute steel of Haldirs. She stared back defiantly, tilting her chin. She broke away, coming hilt to hilt with Haldirs blade, to become engaged in a battle for the superior strength. She possessed not the strength to continue. In a movement so quick, even Haldir had trouble following it, she grabbed his wrist with her free hand, and shoved him back, surprising him. He nearly fell at this sudden thrust backwards, but regained his balance quickly. Only to find, when he turned his attention back to the fight (despite it only having strayed for a split second) He found her blade kissing his throat. She had a look on her face he had never seen before, a cold fury that chilled him, making him wonder just what was driving her. She lowered her blade from his throat, breathing heavily, her fury being replaced with a loo of horror. She had not only attacked her mate, and March warden, but had put a blade to his throat!(for far longer than protocol demanded, even after a defeat)
She near dropped her blade, before fumbling to resheath it. Haldir, moving on from the fact that he had just suffered his first defeat in over four hundred years, sheathed his own sword, taking her by her shoulders. Her eyes were glazed, and unfocused. He shook her gently.
"Ardenia!" he spoke to her, trying to get her to focus on him. She shook her head violently, finally coming out of what seemed to be deep thoughts.
"I must speak with you," he murmured to her, keeping a hold upon her shoulders.
"Yes. Later maybe…Haldir…release me. I have work to do." She tried to free herself from his grasp, only to find he wasn't about to let her go.
"Now, if you please." He said, his grip one of iron upon her aching muscles.
"Haldir, I must…"
Haldir cut her off abruptly. "No. I must speak with you now. I speak to you now not as your training master, but as your husband." He turned and left the practice courts, his wrist firmly within his grasp, she finally giving in and following him, her head awhirl with thoughts. What if he knew? Suspected? He led her to a deserted clearing, deep within the forest, a stream winding its way through the space, with what little light there was to be had glistening off of it.
She sat upon a log near the edge of the water, waiting for him to speak, her muscles aching from not only her long morning of strenuous practice, but also from her long night of passion.
He stood before her.
"Ardenia, the night when we spoke? Do you remember? It was but two nights ago, and we have barely spoken since. Now, whilst other…things…have gotten in the way of me having a proper conversation with you since then," he gave a half smile in recollection, his eyes briefly smouldering with desire in remembrance, "I feel I must speak with you now"
At the mention of that night, when Celeborn had come to her talan, she nearly started to tremble. She was so stupid! How could he not have suspected something! Especially after she barely contacted him after it? She tried to find a way to distract him from the topic at hand, knowing full well that whilst some found her to conceal her emotions almost completely, he could read her like an open book. But how?
"And just now, you attacked me and fought as though I was a Balrog from the depths of darkness. What happened that night Ardenia? Who has made you so unhappy?"
She wracked her brain for a solution, coming up with two solutions. Run, or seduce him. Again. She knew which she preferred, after knowing from first hand experience that he could out run her any time, any place.
She got up from the log, sidling up to him, running her hands down his chest.
"Honestly my love, why would you be worried about a little conversation I had? A way to fill the time until I could see you again? Surely you know of better ways to fill your hours?" She smiled seductively, and hated herself for it. He grabbed her hands, stopping them from their gradual descent towards his leggings.
"Don't try and distract me Ardenia. I intend to get an answer to my question, if not for my own benefit than to your own. Whom were you speaking to?"
She looked away. she should have known he knew her better than that. She looked back into his unwavering gaze. But what to tell him? Surely some truth was better than a complete lie?
"I was speaking with Lord Celeborn. He came to see how I was in your absence."
"I see." He said, releasing her hands, to wrap his arms around her, brining her tightly to him, his hands sliding beneath the tunic she wore, and his lips beginning to leave a trail of hot devastation down her neck, across her shoulder, pulling her tunic over her head, and pulling her closer still, in an embrace that could never be broken. One hand came up to cup her breast, the other staying on the small of her back. He raised his lips to kiss her deeply, leaving her limp against him, before bringing his lips to her ear.
"I would almost believe that, Ardenia.." he whispered, his hand leaving her breast to reach beneath her practice leggings, making her eyes widen, at not just what he was saying, but at what his skilful fingers were doing to her, "Except, I wonder what the Lord of Lorien, whom you will have nothing to do with, was doing in your talan in the dark of night," His fingers continued to stroke deeply within her, bringing forth a rain of passion over his hand. She grasped his shoulders, the only thing keeping her upright. "And then, I would also wonder why this one little conversation changed your disposition so significantly, and made you leave our bed this morning at such an hour, without nary a word."
She hung limply against him, knowing that not only were their positions reversed, making her the seduced, instead of the seductress, but that he knew that something wasn't right. And he intended to find out what. He withdrew his fingers from her slick folds, making her gasp again. She raised her head from were she had buried it in his shoulder, looking straight at him, his gaze boring in to her, possessing traces of desire, but also a wilful determination. 'Tell me" he whispered, sliding her leggings off of her hips, and backing her against a large willow, his hands straying to let his hardened length from his leggings. He pressed against her, the pressure of his arousal pressing against her own desire and the solidity of the tree behind her almost made her break down and tell him everything, as long as he took her right now. He paused in his wilful seduction.
"Tell me", he whispered again, his husky voice sending a wave of uncertainty through her. Sensing her drawing away from him, he thrusted into her, making her return her attention entirely to him. She leant back against the tree, her head thrown back like a pagan goddess, and he smiled ferally at his obvious prowess over her. (Although, the feeling of her heat around his length, her head thrown back like that in pleasure, was having a definite effect upon him as well). He thrust in to her again, making her bury one hand in to his hair, the other clenching against his tunic. "Well?" he whispered, thrusting in to her again, making her tense around him. He buried himself within her again, and again, making her breathe come in short gasps, his own heart beat, under her hand matching hers beat for beat.
"N-n-nothing," she managed to gasp out, barely able to speak. He stopped moving within her, allowing his length to stay within her though.
"Really?" he murmured, his voice a stream of liquid fire that wrapped around her, and drew her soul even closer to his.
"He means me no harm," she said, her heart pounding, her head clouded from his love making. "please Haldir!" she moaned, every small movement he made within her making her spiral out of control.
He finally took pity on both her and his own raging desire, driving in to her with a relentless need, until both of them, exhausted by the power of their release, fell to the ground, still wrapped around each other. She breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling, his own breathing matching hers, their chests pressed against each other.
She hadn't told him the whole truth, but at least it wasn't a lie. Celeborn didn't mean her any harm, but her family, and Haldir were completely a different matter. And she hated herself for the potential danger she had put Haldir in.
Haldir sensed that she was telling him the truth, but he strongly suspected that there was something more to this story than he was being told. He intended to watch his wife very closely this next week, but for now, he left the issue alone, content that she was telling him what she could, and that maybe he had blown parts of this mystery out of proportion.
Celeborn/Malanion smiled at the thoughts passing through Ardenia's head. He could have some fun here. Yes. He could not let Ardenia be diverted from her task, until Thranduil, his young wife and Legolas had breathed their last. And Haldir could be either a hindrance or an ally but for now, his constant seductions of Ardenia were getting tedious. He smirked evilly. It was time to teach them both a little lesson, about his level of tolerance for such sentimental nonsense. Celeborn threw himself against the walls binding him, distraught at the thought of his beloved March warden, (like a son to him) in harms way. Malanion looked down at his twitching hand, having lost control of it for a split second. He watched within him, as Celeborn, exhausted from his fight, collapsed, his strength depleted from just one second back within his own body, having pushed Malanion's control for those seconds. But Malanion wasn't worried. He'd have what he wanted soon. And Celeborn would not have the strength to fight him for some time now. It was time a lesson was taught to the two sleeping lovers.
A/N: Now review! I need some feed back. What do you think will happen? Too much smut? Not enough? (teehee!) If I get more than two reviews, then you can have another chapter.lol. Please?
