Arariel woke to the sound of gentle humming. Slowly she opened her eyes. She was in her chambers in Gondor. The last thing she remembered was Legolas carrying her down the ladder of the talan. After that she passed out. She tried to sit up, but she had no energy.
"Hey..." said a voice, "You're awake"
"Legolas..." she murmured, her voice cracking.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Sore" she said, shifting in the bed.
She saw that he was preparing something in a bowl on the bed beside her. She noticed that he had no tunic on and he was only wearing his breeches.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Your back was scraped so badly, we needed different herbs to heal it. It still isn't healed properly" he continued swishing the water around, "Can you roll onto your back for me?"
When she rolled over, she discovered that she was naked.
"Where are my clothes?" she asked.
"Arwen has taken them to be mended. Do not worry, Arwen undressed you." He said with a laugh.
He gently pulled the bedsheets back, exposing her cut and bruised back.
"I will need to take the blankets right off" he said, quietly, "Is that okay?"
She nodded, although, a queasy feeling had settled into the bottom of her stomach. He began cleaning her wounds with warm water scented with lavender. The water made the stinging go away. He moved his cloth downwards, stroking the cuts. Suddenly she jerked away.
"What is the matter melamin? Did I hurt you?" (Beloved)
She stared at him in horror.
"What is wrong Arariel?"
"Stay away from me!" she shouted.
Legolas looked hurt.
"Arariel, please..."
"You will not take advantage of me!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face.
"What's going on?" asked Arwen, as she entered the room, "I could hear her from my chambers"
Arwen looked from Arariel's naked body, to Legolas' half dressed one and realization dawned on her face. Legolas, seeing what had appeared on Arwen's face tried to explain himself.
"No" he said, "It's not what you think..."
"You tell me then Legolas" said Arwen shortly.
"I can see that you will not believe me anyway. Excuse me" he said, leaving Arariel's chambers.
Arwen hurried over and pulled the blankets back over Arariel's shaking body.
"Did he hurt you? Was he going to..."
"I don't know Arwen, I'm scared of him..." she sobbed into her pillow.
"Scared of him?"
"I'm scared he will try...he will try to..."
"It's okay, Arariel. Legolas would never try to take advantage of you. He loves you"
"I don't want to push him away, but I am scared Arwen..."
Legolas waited outside the door for a moment. He could hear nothing, even with his elven ears. Not that he was trying to eavesdrop, just regain his composure.
"Legolas..." came a voice, "What's going on?"
"I do not know Aragorn. She has turned away from me" Aragorn could see the pain in the elf's eyes.
"Are you sure? She is still not fully healed. It will take time"
At that moment, Arwen left Arariel's chambers. She saw them talking and went over to them.
"I am sorry Legolas, I did not mean to snap at you. Given the circumstances, I thought the worst. I know you would never do that to Arariel"
"Thankyou Arwen. What is wrong with her?"
"I do not know whether I should tell you..."
"Please Arwen..."
Arwen looked at Aragorn for support.
"I think that this is something that only Arariel can tell you, in her own time" said Aragorn, reading his wife's thoughts.
Legolas sighed. What was he going to do?
"Hey..." said a voice, "You're awake"
"Legolas..." she murmured, her voice cracking.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Sore" she said, shifting in the bed.
She saw that he was preparing something in a bowl on the bed beside her. She noticed that he had no tunic on and he was only wearing his breeches.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Your back was scraped so badly, we needed different herbs to heal it. It still isn't healed properly" he continued swishing the water around, "Can you roll onto your back for me?"
When she rolled over, she discovered that she was naked.
"Where are my clothes?" she asked.
"Arwen has taken them to be mended. Do not worry, Arwen undressed you." He said with a laugh.
He gently pulled the bedsheets back, exposing her cut and bruised back.
"I will need to take the blankets right off" he said, quietly, "Is that okay?"
She nodded, although, a queasy feeling had settled into the bottom of her stomach. He began cleaning her wounds with warm water scented with lavender. The water made the stinging go away. He moved his cloth downwards, stroking the cuts. Suddenly she jerked away.
"What is the matter melamin? Did I hurt you?" (Beloved)
She stared at him in horror.
"What is wrong Arariel?"
"Stay away from me!" she shouted.
Legolas looked hurt.
"Arariel, please..."
"You will not take advantage of me!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face.
"What's going on?" asked Arwen, as she entered the room, "I could hear her from my chambers"
Arwen looked from Arariel's naked body, to Legolas' half dressed one and realization dawned on her face. Legolas, seeing what had appeared on Arwen's face tried to explain himself.
"No" he said, "It's not what you think..."
"You tell me then Legolas" said Arwen shortly.
"I can see that you will not believe me anyway. Excuse me" he said, leaving Arariel's chambers.
Arwen hurried over and pulled the blankets back over Arariel's shaking body.
"Did he hurt you? Was he going to..."
"I don't know Arwen, I'm scared of him..." she sobbed into her pillow.
"Scared of him?"
"I'm scared he will try...he will try to..."
"It's okay, Arariel. Legolas would never try to take advantage of you. He loves you"
"I don't want to push him away, but I am scared Arwen..."
Legolas waited outside the door for a moment. He could hear nothing, even with his elven ears. Not that he was trying to eavesdrop, just regain his composure.
"Legolas..." came a voice, "What's going on?"
"I do not know Aragorn. She has turned away from me" Aragorn could see the pain in the elf's eyes.
"Are you sure? She is still not fully healed. It will take time"
At that moment, Arwen left Arariel's chambers. She saw them talking and went over to them.
"I am sorry Legolas, I did not mean to snap at you. Given the circumstances, I thought the worst. I know you would never do that to Arariel"
"Thankyou Arwen. What is wrong with her?"
"I do not know whether I should tell you..."
"Please Arwen..."
Arwen looked at Aragorn for support.
"I think that this is something that only Arariel can tell you, in her own time" said Aragorn, reading his wife's thoughts.
Legolas sighed. What was he going to do?
