A/N: I'm sorry for the lack of updates, I have been catching up on my sleep for the past three days. Finally the play's over as well as half of my tests. I'm planning to put up 3-4 chapters this Christmas break since I have nothing better to do anyway. :)
Navaer Lalaith - I have written up to chapter 7 when i promised i won't be using grelvish anymore that's why there's still some in chapter 6. :) i doubt it if i'll even incorporate elvish in my story since i can't find an elven dictionary like the grelvish one...eeep.
IceAmethyst - Reinventions of Us. ;) I'll post that as well. It's weird now that I'm not getting that much reviews like before, not many people read lotr fanfiction now, i guess. i read some of your favorite stories (HP) and i'm getting addicted to LJ stories! :)
Ilmatar - I loved the library scene as well, something about wanting something but holding back yourself. :P by the way, what does ooc mean? :)
Elrohir - Hahahahahah. Haldir, haldir. Let's just say that he'll be an interesting addition. He'll he 'here' soon. :P
hi-c - I think it's just your comp...I'm now in chapter 7. :)
Aielenamin
Chapter 7 - Swordplay
Arienne sat on her bed in a daze. What were you thinking Arienne? What are you doing? she thought, placing her face on her palms. It has been a long time, a millennia after, and yet she still likes the prince. The difference back then, when she was still a child, she never dreamed of kissing the prince. He was just Prince Legolas whom she loved to look at. Yet now, she wanted to know what it was like to kiss the prince she adores. And if she was not mistaken, she had seen the same want in his eyes that mirrored her own.
But Ketheara, her sister. She remembered her just before she lost herself and even though she knew that it was the right thing to do, she longed for that kiss. Over the years, she had convinced herself that she no longer was infatuated with the prince. Who would have thought that a thousand years were still not enough to exorcise him from her thoughts? She was wrong, he did not change much from the same man whom she followed around as a child. The prince had acquired a maturity and quietness around him that Arienne knew would not suit well with Kethaera's personality.
And yet, she knew that she would not do anything that would hurt Kethaera. No matter how much she tells her that Legolas and she did not love each other with passion. It would mean disrespect to her sister and her father if she succumbs to her own desires. She loved her sister and besides, the infatuation that she has with the prince will probably dissipate in a short while. A kiss is not worth destroying a good relationship with Kethaera, her father and the king. Soon enough she would find her own mate who will make her fell like the prince though the one she will not have will not leave her and will last for a longer time.
She glanced on the box that she had placed near her nightstand. The lily was starting to wilt, probably started only a couple of days ago when she first saw him in the feast. It added to her heartache as a child when she realized that she had lost the gift from the prince. It wasn't very long when she finally stopped looking for it, knowing fully well that it was truly gone like the image of the good prince in her heart.
There was no use thinking about things that aren't mean to happen to her so she slid into her bed and tried to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, thanks to the twins who had mapped up her day already. She was left with the thought that her father would not fail her in finding a good husband for her, one that had love and passion.
"Why can't you two idiots understand that I am inept in using this...this..thing?!" Arienne yelled to the twins as she slowly blocked Elledan's sword with her own. It was an hour before sunup and she was already in the field with the twins who made her promise to accompany them today last night. Of course she had the option to tell them to kiss an orc's ass but she couldn't because they threatened to tell the prince a deed that she was acutely embarrassed of. "You two are unscrupulous elves that deserved to be killed by orcs," she spew out, trying her damndest to ward of the two male elves who were inching slowly towards her.
"You're going to thank us for this Arienne, you'll see," Elohir said, yawning at his cousin's efforts.
"You seem to be out of breath cousin, are you tired already?" Elledan asked with a grin at Arienne who already had sweat on her brow. He saw her scowl before clashing her sword to his with great effort before stumbling down.
The elleth was muttering curses as she flung the sword away from her. "I quit! This is pointless! If I'm destined to be eaten raw by orcs because I do not know how to wield a sword, then that is my destiny, don't you think? This is futile!" she said exasperatedly at the two who sat down on each of her side.
"You're tired already? Already? But we've only been out here for half an hour," Elledan said, nudging her shoulder. "Look at you, all sweaty and breathless. Look at us all princely and still dashing," he teased, pinching the bridge of his nose pretending that Arienne stank.
"I hate you both."
"No you don't. Not yet, at least since if you don't get up in ten seconds, we're going to run around the palace yelling about what you took from the prince," Elohir said, with a twinkle in his eyes after hearing Arienne growl at him.
"Why can't you do this to Kethaera?! Why do you manage to device torturous ways to make me suffer?" she whined, wiping away the sweat from her temples.
"Kethaera can manage to kill us with her embroidery needle if she wishes it," Elledan joked, standing up. "Get up little one, we have to ready you just in case,"
"Just in case what? Just in case I manage to think that you're actually orcs who live to torture me and I then decide to slide this thing up your behinds?" she asked sweetly, waving her sword in front of his face.
Elohir scoffed at the idea, "Like you'll even manage to hold that sword correctly."
"I hate you," Arienne growled, lifting her sword but Elohir was fast enough to block her blow. They knew that when she was sufficiently riled up, she managed to lessen her errors and she actually could deliver decent blows. "You are arrogant, selfish and you need to be nicer to me! Who takes care," -clash!- "of your food in the kitchen? ME!" -clash!- "Who gives you gossip about the elleths in Rivendell?" - clash, clash!- "ME!" -clash!- "Who saves your ass when Uncle looks for you and you're cavorting with your whores?! - clash! clash!- "ME! ME! ME!" The blows continued as Elohir tried not to laugh at his cousin's tomato red face. She then turned and looked for Elledan who had a serene smile on his face.
"And you!" -clash! clash! clash!- "It would not kill you to be less impatient while I dress up, you nearly knocked down my door! It wouldn't kill you to accompany me to the village when I order my dresses!" -clash!- They parried while Arienne mouthed off her complaints to the two elves. "I am a girl, I am supposed to be in the palace with Kethaera embroidering or something, not fighting like a boy," she complained, her chest heaving at the effort she was making."
"The problem Arienne is that you can't sew a stitch to save your life. You almost bled to death when you pricked your finger while embroidering with Arwen," Elohir said, reminding the elleth of her past attempts.
"Don't forget that you bled into her embroidery as well," Elledan added.
"ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!! You two need to LOVE me more! You are making me miserable!" she screamed at the two who were laughing at her.
"Oh Arienne, did we ever tell you that you look grand when you're enraged?" Elledan teased, running away from the elleth who dropped her sword and started chasing him like an bull who has detected its target.
"Oh look! A female orc!" Elohir shouted from behind the trees, laughing madly.
"I'm going to pummel you to death Elohir, I swear!" Arienne said, dashing after the elf. Those two lived to tease and make fun of her. There hasn't been a day when they let her off. It seemed that they enjoyed making fun of her and would only stop when she was already kicking one of the twins' behinds.
"Sure, and you can beat me in swordplay," he shouted back, seeing her only a short distance from him.
"I may not be good in weapons but I sure can beat your ass you spawn of Sauron," she yelled back, running with her all her might to catch up on the madly laughing elf that looked like he ingested laughing gas. With a short burst of energy, she launched herself to the elf and started to choke him. "You're not laughing now are you?" she said with a smirk. "Say I'm the best in swordplay!" she demanded to the elf, though being choked, was still laughing.
"And I'm an orc!"
"Say it!" But before she could say anything else, Elledan tackled her from behind and tickled her. Her laughter rang out as she tried to ward of the twins from her, teaming up in the torture. "Stoooooop it!!! UNCLE!!!" she yelled at them both.
"Say that Elledan is the most handsome elf in the realm," Elledan demanded, poising her hands on her waist.
"Elledan is the most handsome elf in the realm," she said promptly, trying to suppress her laughter.
"Now say that Elohir is the best in swordplay and I eat his royal dust," Elohir said, removing her boots to tickle her feet as Elledan held her. All three knew that her feet was her most ticklish part. She started to scream and twist to get away from them to no avail. Her right boot was already off and Elohir had his hand poised on her soles. "Now dear cousin, who is the best in swordplay and who eats his royal elven dust?"
"Elohir is the best in swordplay and I eat his elven royal dust!" she screamed, trying to get away. "Please not the feet," she pleaded to the twins.
"Alright, we won't just scream out loud that you love the prince," Elledan said supremely as Arienne gave him a look of horror.
"Whaaaaaaaat??!"
"Either you scream that you love Prince Legolas or you're going to get it," Elohir said, tickling her foot a little as she squirmed.
"I love Prince Legolas," she muttered.
"SCREAM it dear cousin!"
"ELOHIR AND ELLEDAN LOOK LIKE ORC DROPPINGS!!!!" she yelled but was cut short by Elledan's hand on her mouth. She laughed at his unamused expression.
"Scream of we're going to tell everyone that you got something from the prince before," Elohir threatened.
"That's blackmail," she pointed out with a glare.
"That's FUN."
"No, I'm telling father and Lord Elrond about this abuse and he's going to have both your elven asses into the latrines," she said with smirk. She didn't notice the large grin Elledan had on his face when he spied someone come over in the field.
"Yadda yadda yadda Arienne," Elledan said, pretending to be bored by her threats. "Tickle torture or you scream that you love the prince?"
"Tickle torture!"
"Tickle torture it is!" The two launched their attack at the elleth who was screaming and laughing at the same time, trying to get away. She couldn't take it anymore so she yelled, "I LOVE PRINCE LEGOLAS!!!"
"Ahem."
All three rambunctious elves froze, Arienne's eyes widened while the twin's grins got bigger. Her eyes, moved up a bit and saw a familiar pair of boots close to her face. Oh dear Elbereth, she thought, her cheeks aflame. Why do things like these happen to her? Why her?! Her life being the drama that it was, had to make it more miserable for her. The gods must love to see her all flustered and in a position that was only destined for jesters, not a lady like her! And to make matters worse, the twins got off her and greeted the prince jovially. She, on the other hand, couldn't look up.
"I'm going to poison your drink tonight, mark my words," she hissed at the twins, kicking their shins but missing her target for they jumped away from her side. She took a deep breath and looked at the prince, his eyes full of amusement as he watched her drop down into a curtsy. "Good morning, your highness," she greeted him stiffly, trying to curb the redness her cheeks were acquiring. "For the record, I was being blackmailed and tortured into saying those words," she explained, trying to gather up her courage and strength not to pummel the twins at that moment.
"I must say that I was surprised to hear that," Legolas said to the flaming red elleth. "But seeing the two jokesters here, I knew there had to be a catch," he remarked, brushing off the dirt on her cheek and the leaf that got stuck on her hair.
"Legolas, believe us, she said that on her own, without our encouragement," Elohir said brightly. "OW!" he yelled, hopping on one foot at the hard kick he received from Arienne.
"Oh look, it's a bunny rabbit," Arienne pointed out sarcastically. "Oh wait, it's not. It's an orc doing a mating dance." And instead of helping his twin, Elledan laughed at he pained expression on Elohir's face, clutching his stomach at the scene before him.
Arienne crossed her arms at scowled. Those two always poked fun at her and made her into a joke just because she let them get away with them. They had gone way too far with their joke. She knew that they had planned for the prince to come into the field that morning, knowing them, they had planned this all out before blackmailing her into coming. It seems like the two were hell-bent on making her admit something that she wasn't going to admit ever.
"I thought there was going to a sword practice? Elledan approached me last night as asked me if I wanted to join them," Legolas said casually after observing her foul expression.
"Sword practice alright," she muttered, watching the twins knock each other out as if they were still children. "They both know I cannot wield a sword and they still managed to con me into coming this morning only to be humiliated," she added, unable to remove the irritated tone in her voice.
"So why not worth the morning, I can teach you," Legolas offered. "Seeing that those two are wrapped up in attempting to kill each other, they won't be able to do that."
The scorn on her face couldn't be masked. "Your offer is a valiant one, your highness, but I believe that I am the most inept person to hold a sword you will ever meet in your immortal life. A mortal child can hold that thing," she glanced disgustedly at the weapon on the ground, "better than I can."
"Oh you can't be that bad, Arienne," Legolas said, a smile playing on his lips. "Elledan asked me last night if I can attempt to teach you. He told me of your history with the weapon and I accepted the challenge."
"Did they happen to say that I am beyond hopeless and even Eru will not be able to teach me?"
A smile played on the prince lips as he nodded his affirmative reply, "Nonetheless, I would like to try."
"How valiant of you. Or should I say, 'How stupid of you'," she shaking her head.
"Oi! Both of you, how about this: Elledan and I will stop harassing you, Arienne, beloved cousin of ours, if you manage to learn how to use the sword without injuring yourself or the prince in a month's time," Elohir said with a grin, winking at Elledan.
"As long as you volunteer to be my first victim when I learn how to use the sword," she said sweetly.
"So you accept?" Elledan asked, clapping his hands in delight but was cut short by the stamp he got on his right foot.
Arienne looked at the Prince inquiringly. "I really would love to live in peace soon and if it's the only way to get them off my hair, I do hope you'll help me," she said to the prince, batting her eyelashes exaggeratedly.
"Of course, my lady," he said, bowing at her.
"Be warned courageous prince, it is hazardous to teach the lady with any weapons," Elohir warned gravely. He pulled up his sleeve and showed a fading scar, "This is my first scar delivered by none other that the lady beside you on our first lesson."
"We have a combined total of 14 scars from that menace," Elledan said, glaring at the bored looking elf who decided to give them a disrespectful gesture with her finger. "You have been warned Legolas, may we still see you for supper tonight," he said, bowing with his brother before bursting into laughter as they left the pair.
"Kill them for me, will you?" Arienne asked with a sigh, walking to the log near the clearing. "They give me headaches, hives and heart attacks," she added, as he situated himself on the tree trunk, his leg bracing his frame from behind.
"I don't think Lord Elrond will favor that idea,"
"Don't be sure about that, he'll campaign for it," she said wryly.
"They can't be that bad," Legolas interjected, a smile playing on his lips.
"Believe me, after spending a millennia with those charlatans, they can be worse than Sauron himself," she said, rolling her eyes as she stood up, dragging her sword behind her. "You have got to teach me to use this," she muttered, her shoulders slumping a bit.
"You can't be as horrible as Kethaera," he said, walking towards her, his eyes twinkling with amusement at the horrified look on her face.
"Kethaera?! Horrible?! She might not enjoy the outdoors but she parries with father without even breaking a sweat! If you call her abilities with the sword, horrible, you might as well quit now because I'm abysmal," she groaned, suppressing the urge to stamp her foot at her frustration as if she was still a child.
"Now stop your whining, let's see how much you know," Legolas said sternly, moving away from the tree trunk. "Show me how to hold your weapon," he commanded, his hands at his waist, looking like a real instructor.
Arienne straightened her spine and shook her head, loosening her shoulders before holding her sword, her left hand being enclosed by her right hand.
The prince had to smile at the image that she made, her expression was a mixture of determination and irritation as if she knew that the lesson would be futile for the likes of her while at the same time hoping that she would indeed finally learn something to be able to shake off her cousins' taunts and pranks. He critically examined her stance, which was good though unstable. "Shift your right foot backwards a bit," he ordered, walking towards her. "Your stance is good, shift it a bit more, there," he squatted and pushed her boot farther until he was satisfied. "As for how you handle your weapon, it is truly abysmal," he noted dryly, seeing her roll her eyes as if to say 'what's new?' "Don't grip the handle with one hand on top of the other, you will not achieve balance. Here, look." He held his own sword for her to imitate.
She shifted her right hand up the handle that made the sword tilt to a 45 degree angle. "That's better," Legolas said approvingly at his pupil. "See? You now know how to handle your sword," he said with a grin at the elleth who was scowling at him.
"Great, now I can hold my sword and glower at my enemies and they will fall dead before me," she said sarcastically at the prince before lowering her weapon.
"Will you please stop being sarcastic about this? You're not going to learn everything in one morning," the prince said irritatedly at her.
"I'm sorry for being skeptical but after more than a hundred attempts for me to learn how to use this particular weapon from forty-seven different instructors, which includes my uncle, my cousins plus Arwen, my father and sister, as well as the last nine suitors from Rivendell, with not a least bit of improvement on my part, I really can't help but feel that way," she apologized wryly to the prince who was looking at her with amusement. "It's not funny, you know," she said primly to him.
"Alright, alright," he said, raising his left hand as a sign of defeat. "Let's see how well your foot work is. I'll parry a bit with you and I'll see how well those instructors taught you," he added with a grin. He raised his sword, swinging it towards her sword slowly. She matched the sword carefully, edging her feet backwards as he came nearer. Both her hands gripped the sword, concentrating fully at making contact with the Legolas' sword as well as trying not to stumble backwards.
Legolas stopped his mock-assault before sheathing his weapon. "Maintain your stance," he ordered, bending down to see how she moved her feet. "Now move backwards as if I was still parrying with you." He watched her footwork, before barely trying to conceal his smile. Unfortunately for him, she saw the grin and scowled at him.
"I know I'm hopeless at this and I'm trying to indulge you by letting you teach me, but can you please not be obvious on how much I suck at this?" she complained.
"I wasn't saying anything!"
"I saw that smirk, you no good elf," she muttered. "Hey!"
Legolas had squatted beside her once more, adjusting her left foot. "Now move backwards but this time, let me guide you, okay?" He saw her affirmative nod before he told her to begin. He guided her left foot with his left hand, her right foot with his right hand to move back. "You're doing good, keep it up," he said encouragingly, not seeing the smile that graced the elleth's face at what he said.
It wasn't long before Arienne started to auto-pilot her footwork as her thoughts finally drifted back to the events the night before. She couldn't be more relieved to find out that there was not any uncomfortable air between them. She knew that he didn't miss the way they almost made contact with each other that was most inappropriate for both of them. At the moment, she didn't know if the prince was just indulging her on this little lesson but she was most happy that he was willing to teach her swordplay even though he knew that it was pointless. Perhaps it was to prove her cousins that he could teach her and not the other instructors.
Just plain male ego that drove him to do this, the elleth thought wryly. Nothing can boost it more than being able to do something others cannot. She knew that the prince was concentrating on moving her feet to make if used to the movement so from the corner of her eye, she spied the crown of his head, his eyes lowered at how he was going to maneuver her feet without stumbling. "Shouldn't you be with Kethaera?" she asked, glancing down at him.
He looked up for a second before answering, "She was still asleep when I asked her maid. It's still early and I know she won't be awake till breakfast." He was met by a soft 'hmmm' from the elleth which made him smile.
It was now his turn to think about the turn of events the night before. Though he couldn't really call them 'turn of events' since nothing happened. It unnerved him to see that the elleth barely looked conscious about the almost contact they made, it looked like it didn't bother her the slightest. Unlike him, who had been thinking of what last night meant. He frowned at the thought of her being unaffected for his nerves had been wracked by possibilities. Impossible possibilities. He knew that the way they looked at each other was mutual though she was better at masking whatever she felt now. What if she doesn't think the way I do? Legolas thought, his frown deepening. She can't think the way I do because whatever we, I, was feeling cannot be. Eru, what am I thinking?! I'm acting like a perverted brother-in-law towards her! he thought angrily at himself, a glower forming on his face.
"Glowering at my feet won't make it move better," she chided at him pointedly. He snapped his head up to her face, making him lose the coordinated movements he was making with her legs, locking his arms with her legs when she moved backwards.
Both elves stumbled to the ground, Arienne's shocked scream was muffled by the sharp thud that came when her backside connected to the ground as well as the painful groan from the prince who's head cushioned her back, his arms still trapped by her legs.
"Owwww," Arienne moaned, trying to get up since the prince's head was trapped and moving her legs to free his arms. "That wasn't part of the lesson," she remarked painfully, rubbing her back and stretching her legs.
"You don't think," Legolas muttered, cracking his head to the left.
"Your head okay?" she asked, turning to look at him suppressing a smile at the dirt-smudged look he had that came from having his face mash with the ground. She fished for her handkerchief from her pocket and folded it before rubbing the dirt from his right cheek gently.
Legolas watched her as she removed the dirt from his cheek, alternating from hard rubs to gentle ones since some dirt marks couldn't be removed. "Ow," he winced at the pressure she placed on his cheek. He jerked suddenly when her face came closer making her look at him weirdly before blowing at his cheek.
"You obtained a bruise as well as an open scratch on you cheek," she said softly, dabbing the bruise carefully, alternating it with soft, airy blows.
"How about you kiss it instead?" Legolas asked with a cheeky grin. She looked at him, shrugging a bit before giving his bruised cheek a chaste sisterly kiss. "Now how about if you kiss my behind since I practically kissed yours when you fell?" he asked jokingly. "OW!" he rubbed the back of his head which connected with her palm.
"How about if I connect my sword with your behind?" she asked sweetly, standing up, shoving her handkerchief into her pocket.
"Like hell you can," he shot back, standing up, blocking her enraged swing with his sword. "It was a joke Arienne! A joke!" he yelled laughingly as she pursued him with her sword around the field.
please review. please? :)