A/N: please read the last part of chapter nine again before reading chapter 10. trust me, it'll be better. :) and im SICK WITH THE FLU and yet I FINISHED THIS...go me! stuffy nose, blows...ugh!
LETTERS TO YOU, A HARRY POTTER FIC (JAMES/LILY). READ AND REVIEW THAT AS WELL! THANKS! :)
Aielenamin
Chapter 10 - Ad Infinitum
Rewind to the afternoon that Legolas and Arienne arrived in the Golden Woods
Arienne hummed softly as she climbed down her talan, the one Haldir had escorted her into an hour ago. How good it felt to be able to dress up as a female again! Not that she didn't appreciate the freedom the loose tunics and leggings gave to her but that she felt more protected when wearing women's clothing. The foremost thing that she missed was the freedom her hair had now, unlike for the past days, it had to be bound to keep out of her way. The feast wasn't to start in three more hours and so she decided to explore the woods that she had long ago visited and now missed.
Golden haired elves passed by her with silent and friendly greetings dawning on their faces; So the sun isn't the only source of warmth in this place, Arienne mused, her heart light at the ease she felt in the place. Pausing slightly near the edge of one clearing, she tried her best to remember how to get to the banks of the Nimrodel River. She was silently wishing for Haldir to appear and accompany her since he knew the lands better than anyone and would certainly be better company than the sulking elf she had traveled with. But alas, he was doing one last patrol around the woods before preparing himself as well for the feast.
As she slowly skimmed her leather-clad feet, the hem of her white dress swept the earth silently, her mind drifted back to the brief conversation she had with her grandmother. They had been preparing for our arrival for the past three months and yet, I only knew of the sudden change of plans less than a week ago. Something isn't right. Maybe she mistook me for Kethaera in the letter she received, she thought, as she thanked the little elleth she crossed after asking for directions to the river. The thought seemed plausible but not quite.
The Lady Galadriel knew which sister was which even with her eyes closed and would definitely not mistake the one for the other. Unless, Arienne started, a frown grazing her face as a thought formulated in her head and was obviously not liking her conclusions very much. Unless Kethaera really didn't plan on going to Lothlorien at all and made up those plans, no, not made up, scheduled those plans on the day she is supposed to go and made me go! Arienne thought angrily at her sister's deviousness. "What are you up to now?" she said out loud, trying to get the pissed off feeling out of her system, without much luck.
"Nothing really, just minding my own business," said a voice without her noticing his presence.
The elleth turned her head to where the voice came from and gave out a half-smile. "Oh, it's you."
"Just me," he echoed, turning his back away from her and continued to watch the currents of the river from the top of one of the boulders next to the banks a few meters from where she was.
She walked to where he was and braced her back at one of the larger boulders and crossed her arms. "Seems like whenever I close my eyes, someone pops out of nowhere and answers me," she thought with a twinkle in her eye, remembering Haldir earlier that afternoon.
Legolas merely cocked an eyebrow and shrugged, "You really should stop talking to yourself out loud. You might frighten children."
"Funny, haha."
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be dressing up and being harassed by your maids?" he asked curiously. It had taken him more than half and hour to get away from his own female maids who did more than just help him undress a while ago. It wouldn't surprise him to know that Arienne's own maids were male, just for the sick hell of it.
"Why would they harass me?" she asked puzzledly, looking up at him briefly. "They even seem to be irritated to be assigned to me," she added, realizing what he was implying before releasing a guffaw at his growing scowl. "Really your highness, your charm and reputation precedes you. Is there any place that the legendary prince is not known?" she asked mockingly.
"Why do you think I'm here, hiding?" he muttered wryly, rolling his eyes.
"Hmmm..."
A blanket of silence covered the two and unlike before, this pause was an awkward and longed to be filled with added conversation. In Legolas' defense, when he saw her without the overly large March Warden trailing before Arienne like a sick puppy made him lose the angst that he was feeling for the past hours. "We know why I'm here so why are you here? And even more surprisingly, without that overly grown puppy following you around." he observed, watching her shoot a glare at him for the comment before wrinkling her nose and suppressing a small yawn. Looks like the lady's journey was finally taking a toll on her body.
"Haldir's doing his last patrol for the day so he can take the night off and enjoy the celebrations," she informed him primly. "As for me being here, I just wanted to be near the water. If you haven't noticed, I have a lot of that element in me."
"Really? I would think that you'd have too much of the fire element in you," he said pointedly. And before she could ask him why he thought that way, he continued, "You burst into fits of anger—"
"I do not!"
"Aielen, you rival Saruman's own when I leave Eryn Lagaslen when you were a child," he reminded her amusedly as her face flushed hotly at the memory. "Not to mention the way you attacked Elledan and Elrohir—"
"They had it coming," she said smugly.
"As I was saying, if you don't have any more objections, you're anger is legendary, as well as your stubbornness—"
"As if yours isn't."
He ignored her and continued, "You don't keep your emotions a secret, that's for sure. The way you objected with Kethaera's wish for you to accompany me here in Lorien. You're also very affectionate since you wear your emotions on the sleeves of your gowns, especially to your father. And you're spirited, that's obvious. The way you swiftly and effortlessly banter with the twins.—"
"Never mind all that, I know I have an affinity with water," she interrupted, not liking the way he was able to describe her traits as if he'd known her for centuries. "I think of myself as pliable in nature—you did not have to snort, your highness," she said irritated at him as he suppressed his laughter.
"YOU? Pliable? Definitely as pliable as this boulder for sure," he silently laughed, thanking that he was on higher ground that she was or he would definitely have to suffer a few bruises on his arm that evening.
"I'll bet your element is wood, because you're dense as hell and you don't have any intelligence in that pretty little head of yours," she muttered, annoyedly.
"The maids in my room don't seem to think that way," he said with a grin.
"Go back to your maids then, they have brains smaller than a birds' combined, I'll bet," she added flippantly, rolling her eyes for good effect.
"You're jealous."
"Of what?"
"You're obviously irritated because they get to touch my irresistibly muscular body and you—"
"Finish that sentence and you'll never live to see tomorrow," she said darkly, narrowing her eyes as his grin grew wider as he opened his mouth to continue. "I'll bet my father will be disappointed if you aren't able to have my sister conceive a child because you opened that fat elven mouth of yours," she said, daring him to say the next words. She didn't think so as he winced at the thought.
"And you're denying that you're element is fire," he mumbled, his face still semi-contorted from the images she gave him. The smirk on her face spoke volumes. "What time do you reckon I should pass by your room to get you for the feast?" he asked after a while.
"Would you mind very much if Haldir—"
He shot her a warning look and shook his head. "You ought to know better than that Arienne. I am escorting you to the ball as it is required since you are representing your sister," he reminded her as she sighed.
"Oh well, can't say I didn't try. It's just that—"
"You haven't seen him for a long time and you want to spend time with him," he finished. "You'll have time after the ball," he added harshly before curbing it, irritated that he had to let that side come out of him when he had been doing so well in being calm.
Arienne shrugged, choosing to ignore his abrupt tone since she was quite getting used to his mood swings lately. "Well, I really should go now. To dress up and all those preparations..." she trailed, scuffing her boot softly before standing up straight.
Legolas nodded tautly in response. "I'll come by your room quarter of an hour before the ball starts," he said quietly.
"Alright," she answered before turning her back and walking away. A few steps later, she stopped and turned around, "Your highness—"
"Legolas," he said exasperatedly as he looked at her pointedly.
"Legolas. Do you know anything about Kethaera sending a note to grandmother three months ago that I will be the one accompanying you here?" she asked, really wanting an answer to that niggling question in her mind.
The prince merely shrugged his shoulders in response. "I only knew that you were coming in her stead the same day you did. The Lady must have confused her words this afternoon," he said brusquely, not looking at her, missing her frown.
"Oh. Alright, just thinking. I'll see you later," she said, walking back into the forest. The explanations seemed right. They fit with everything, despite the gut feeling that she had that this was no mere coincidence that she was in Lorien. She made up her mind to ask her grandmother about that letter, it would calm all the questions she had.
The night was perfect for the feast; the moon's light waning and yet giving off a glow that heightened the importance of the event. Lords and ladies gathered in the large clearing that was to be the site of the feast dressed in glittering robes. Talans and flets were lighted with hundreds of candles above the clearing with soft music wafting in the air.
Legolas looked around the place and greeted some lords that had passed him by as he walked to Arienne's flet. He glanced up and smiled at the soft shadows that played on the curtains as the elleth prepared herself, it was ten minutes before the feast started and as the guests of honor, they had to be punctual. Climbing up nimbly on the steps, he knocked on the door softly after smoothening his hair one last time. Not that he needed to.
"Come in," said a voice inside as the door swung open but he wasn't greeted by a lovely sight as he had expected. A flurry of white cloth moving about was all he could first see. If not for her dark hair, he wouldn't have spotted her. "Arienne, why aren't you ready yet?" he asked sternly as she paused and looked at him quizzically. She was dressed in her ceremonial cream colored dress with champagne accents in the bodice and train. Everything seemed to be in order except that her hair was flying everywhere.
"I know...I know!" she muttered, turning over the pillows on her bed, as if looking for something. "I can't find my brush!"
"Where are your maids?" he asked, coming towards her flailing form. "Calm down little one, sit down," he ordered, pushing her gently to one of the intricately carved stools next to her bed.
"I had my maids dismissed, if you have to know," she answered, pursuing her lips at the thought of the elleths that were assigned to her. "They wouldn't cease chattering about the dashing and handsome prince visiting and I was ready to vomit already," she added scornfully, making a face.
"So you had them dismissed from your room," he asked amusedly, pulling out a brush under her pack that she carelessly threw on the side of the room a while ago. "Face the mirror," he said, weaving his hands through her hair. "You really shouldn't have done that," he said disapprovingly.
"Believe me, Legolas, I had no intentions to until they started talking on how they would...ahem...please you in bed later," she said, rolling her eyes at the thought. "Fine, go laugh. Don't come screaming for my help when they sneak into your room later," she added snidely. "Owww, careful!"
"Sorry." He pulled back her hair and twisted it on the ends, pulling the brush through the thick mass. "Tell me, were they beautiful?" he asked, his eyes twinkling at her growing annoyance.
"Must I remind you that before you can even hurt my sister with the dastardly deeds you are already planning, I would have my nails," she fiddled her fingers in front of his face which had long, tapered nails, "crush your balls first. Glad I can still make you wince," she said with a grin at his contorted face.
"I do not think I deserve such a violent sister-in-law," he said mournfully, reaching for a jeweled hairpin on the table to secure her hair up.
"You do not deserve anyone less," she snapped. "Tell me, do you and your guards plait each other's hair when you have nothing to do?" she asked with a grin as he rolled his eyes.
"I actually forgot how nice your hair feels when I fix it," he said, a smile playing on his lips. "Though I must say, I can do more than just plaiting your hair now."
Arienne studied the half-way done hair with a look of approval. "I knew it was a good decision to dismiss my maids," she said, satisfied at the coming outcome.
Once again, a silence overcame them as she let him continue twisting her hair and putting it up. A wrong tug of her hair sent the entire updo down as curses flowed out of his mouth. Arienne suppressed a smile on her face as she studied him on the mirror as he concentrated on pulling her hair up. Minutes later, half of her hair was flowing in waves down her back while the other half was set on her head in beautiful curls. She stood up and turned around to see the back, twisting her head to see better.
"I must say, you exceeded my expectations," she said, shaking her head.
"I exceeded my own expectations," he said, studying her hair from behind. "Here, I brought you something." He drew out a white lily from his pocket, a little crushed on one side from the manhandling it got. She obediently turned and faced him as he twined the flower on top of her pointy ear.
For some reason, he couldn't secure it tightly for he could see her eyes studying him from the side. Legolas felt her soft breath being exhaled from her lips at the side of his neck. It seemed innocent for the lady as she stood still, thought for the prince, the pointy ear so close to his face was yearning to be touched.
"What's wrong? You're frowning," she stated softly, looking up at him intently as he continued to twine the flower. She watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, the smooth skin so near the tip of her nose.
"I—I...hmmm." He let his fingers brush the curve of her ear for the briefest of moments. The intake of her breath was almost indecipherable. "I'm sorry," he apologized quickly, not knowing that the breath from his words tingled the elleth's senses.
It took the elleth a lot of strength not to pull away and jump back from the intimate contact that they shared. Her ears were still tingling for the accidental touch, her face flushing at the brief jolt that she felt. Finally, the moment was interrupted when someone knocked on the door and told them that the feast was about to start and the Lady Galadriel was looking for them.
"Oh. We—we better go," she muttered softly, patting her hair as a small smile grazed her face. "Does it look okay?"
Legolas nodded, glancing at her quickly, having the urge to get out of the confining space that was closing on on him.
"Thank you for the rescue," she said awkwardly, tugging at her gown.
"Anytime," he replied, pulling the door open to let her pass first.
The clearing was lighted by hundred and hundred of candles, making the ceremonial and dress robes of the elven lords and ladies project an ethereal glow. Tinkling laughter and subdued conversations were a stark contrast to the loud and boisterous feast in Eryn Lagaslen for the prince and Kethaera's first engagement party a couple of weeks ago. The abundance of food was evident but unlike the last feast they had, this one was subdued in terms that Elrohir and Elledan weren't there to gorge themselves with the food in front of every guest.
The prince blended well in the surroundings, his physical colorings matching the Lorien elves own as his tunic, made of silver threads glittered along with the lords. He offered his arm to her as they went down to the clearing, bowing and greeting those they passed.
"Kethaera would have loved to be here," she mouthed softly to him as they passed the Lady Galadriel's chief counsel. "She would have known that the celebration would be like this. It is simply puzzling why she would pass up on a time like this," she added, gripping the prince's sleeve tightly as her mind whizzed with pieces that she tried to fit. "It's in the tip of my tongue and yet I can't fully grasp it."
Legolas looked down at her and shook his head exasperatedly, "Kethaera, whatever her plans may be, are her own to understand."
"But-"
"Aielen, I learned from long ago not to read too much in what Kethaera is doing, sometimes her plans can have really shallow reasons," he interrupted carefully to the elleth.
She didn't buy it, merely raising her eyebrow at him. "For someone so old, you can be really naive. I know she's up to no good." The elleth continued her mutterings while the prince chose to ignore her.
Soon enough, the Lady Galadriel welcomed the guests and introduced the two elves from Eryn Lagaslen for whom the feast was being held for. Food and wine flowed from decorated tables, servants offering more to the dancing elves. Music filtered through the place with no sign of musicians as if the swaying of the trees produced such a clear and soothing music.
"May I say something, my Lord?" Arienne asked as they were dancing what seemed like the tenth waltz of the evening and her millionth dance.
"With or without my permission, you're going to say it anyway so you might as well say it," he said humorlessly, looking down at her piercing green eyes that were studying him intently. "Though I must say, whatever you're going to say isn't anything of the trifle sort, am I correct?"
Nodding, she bent her head, quickly formulating the words in her head when she felt his head bend down on the crook of her neck, stifling a chuckle. "This is something new," he whispered, tickling her exposed shoulder with the movement of his lips. He watched as she arched an eyebrow at the statement, "You're actually piecing out the words to say to me instead of simply blurting them out."
"If you must know, the Lady Undomiel stressed out that I must learn the ways of a proper lady," she retorted scornfully at his gaze. "But if you must have it, fine. Here it goes, do you love my sister?"
Legolas' head shot up from her shoulder, his gaze boring at her own as a frown came quickly to his forehead. "I don't think I prefer the blunt version of the question," he said sardonically to her after studying her serious gaze. She shrugged as if he asked for her to say it that way.
Moments passed without him answering the question and it was making the elleth troubled. "It's not a very hard question for you to think about," she muttered.
The prince let out an odd, strangled chuckle that came out like a bark. He shook his head at the innocence of it all. Arienne's inquisitive green eyes waiting for an answer that up to that moment he couldn't formulate a concrete reply to. Kethaera, his betrothed, was in Eryn Lagaslen tending to matters that were trivial as compared to the audience of the Lady Galadriel and yet sent her sister in her stead. And yet he cannot deny that he was pleased to have Arienne, his betrothed's sister in his arms at the moment as they danced.
He watched as not a few male eyes followed the back of the dark haired elleth in his arms. It wasn't surprising for her to stand out. Being the guest of honor for which the party was being held, she was the only elf in the gathering that had dark hair. And it caught many elves' interested attention.
"You know, if your arm gets any tighter around my waist, it would be inappropriate," she said lightly to him.
"Huh?"
"Your arm. Personal space? I don't have much right now," she explained wryly, looking down at the tiny space that separated their bodies.
"Oh."
"How eloquent."
"Hmmmm."
"So?"
"What?"
"Your answer?"
"On what?"
"Kethaera?"
"Kethaera what?"
"Eru, you are such a child."
"You are a child."
"I am not. Answer the question."
"Why does it interest you so much?"
"Because she is my sister."
Good point.
"So?" Arienne asked impatiently at the taller elf that was looking lazily down at her.
"I love her."
The elleth blinked.
"Satisfied?"
"You love her?"
"Yes."
"Hmmmm."
The prince watched as her eyes flitted to different directions but to his face which amused and puzzled him at the same time greatly. Albeit he was surprised at the blunt question directed at him, he didn't expect her to unintentionally flash an emotion on her eyes that he didn't miss. It was intriguing to see uncertainty in her eyes when he declared his love for Kethaera. Yet, he could be mistaken. Something else was there. Disappointment? Did I see that correctly? he thought.
"Why do you ask? Do you still have an insane little infatuation on me little one?" he asked jokingly as he watched eyes turn into slits.
"I'd rather have an orc as a husband."
"Denial's a bitch, isn't it?"
"I'll choose to ignore that."
"So why do you ask anyway?"
"Things aren't that simple in that little brain of yours, my dear," he teased. "Out with it."
Legolas watched her as she scanned the room with her eyes before stopping a fraction behind his head. Her smile was small and yet her eyes spoke a thousand words of tenderness and fondness to the image he still had to see. It seemed that the person who made her smile as she had acknowledged her as well for her smile twitched to a suppressed smile that was matched by a twinkle in her eyes. Suddenly, Legolas twirled the elleth and moved to the side so he could see who it was. With narrowed eyes, he twirled the elleth back to their original position.
"You really need to learn some manners," she gritted out of her lips, still unbalanced from the unpreceeded twirl he did to her. "You could have simply asked who it was."
"And spare the rude, domineering and emotionless oaf a death glare? I should think not," he snapped, rolling his eyes.
Arienne sighed and shook her head as the last notes of the tinkling waltz started to fade. "Well, that rude, domineering and emotionless oaf will soon be your brother-in-law. So you might as well begin to act civil around him," she snapped back.
It took a few seconds for Legolas to fully understand what she just said and by then she was already out of his arms and walking away. He followed her to the food table, a glower evident in his eyes. "What do you mean by he's going to be my brother-in-law?"
"Just as you understand it Legolas," she answered, bringing a goblet of wine to her lips, adverting her eyes from his. "It wouldn't take an idiot to know what that means," she said sarcastically.
"But—but that's Haldir!" he sputtered with a voice only above a whisper.
"Yes, it's Haldir."
"And you're going to be betrothed to him?" he balked at the idea of his little Arienne married to the emotionless March Warden. Surely Lord Corellon would have better judgment than that!
"Thank Eru it's Haldir and not you," she snapped, glaring at him.
"You'd kill for it to be me," he blurted out angrily.
Her eyes widen at the words before shaking her head. "You really need to get out of my sight right now."
"I'm sorry—"
"That's not good enough. Of all the insensitive things you can say, you just had to say what can go straight and hit me the hardest," she said, her voice obviously controlled.
'I didn't mean for it to sound that way!"
"Oh really? I'd say it sounded like an arrogant bastard who thinks that every single elleth in this world owes him their skirts. It's actually taking a lot out of me not to hit you since my grandmother is watching us right now and Haldir will not doubt want to punch in your face for whatever you said to me," she said, gritting her teeth as she forced a smile to graze her face.
Legolas glanced around him and saw that the March Warden, dressed in robes that were as equally fine as what he was wearing, and the Lady Galadriel were indeed watching the two talk. Both, of course, knew there was much to it more than just talking. Haldir strode to where Arienne and Legolas were with a placid smile on his face, not betraying what he was truly feeling.
"Do honor me with a dance, Lady Arienne," he said, bowing lightly before the elleth who's heightened cheeks could be mistaken for the attention given to her by the tall, broad-shouldered warden.
Without a backward glance at the shocked prince, she placed her hand onto Haldir's and was led into the dance floor. Moments later, she felt his amused gaze at her before looking at him wryly. "I'm sorry, you know I usually don't dance this bad," she said lightly. She watched as his deep gray eyes studied her.
"I don't think that the Lady is aware that there is anything bad about herself," he said softly, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "He isn't worth your anger Arienne."
"I know. I just wished he had more respect for you," she said tiredly.
"He's a brat."
"He called you rude and emotionless," she said sourly. "He better take a good look at himself first."
"I think he's doing that now."
A moment of silence passed between them comfortably. "He arrogantly implied that I would rather have him than you," she said softly, a look of inexplicable guilt passing on her face.
Haldir frowned at the action. "Would you rather have him than me?"
"I would rather kiss an orc than have him," she said, making a face before resting her head on his chest. "You smell nice," she added, sniffing him. "Like sandalwood."
A small rumble of laughter came from his chest, reverberating to her as she chuckled as well. "You smell nice too, my lady. And particularly lovely tonight, if I may say," he said to the shorter elf.
"I cannot look anything less since I knew I would be dancing with the dashing March Warden tonight," she bantered, winking at him as their laughter entwined at her words.
"I must say, if the prince's looks could kill—"
Arienne sighed deeply. "He looks at me as if—"
"He wants to possess you?" Haldir asked, arching his aristocratic eyebrow down at her.
She merely shrugged to reply. "He looks at me as if he isn't engaged to be married to my sister," she started, looking up at him. As she expected, his eyes were inquisitive and letting her to continue whatever she was going to say. "It's funny that now he acts that way, the way I would have probably wanted him to act if I still was madly infatuated like before, I'm not interested anymore. Don't arch your eyebrow at me Haldir," she said warningly. "I'm serious."
"And so am I, princess. I know that look that he's giving you. In fact, a lot of other elves are giving you," he said amusedly at her concerned face. "If I wasn't the captain, I definitely wouldn't live to see tomorrow," he added dryly.
"Well, he's not supposed to be giving me those furtive glances," she said uncomfortably.
"You grew up beautifully as a lady and it's too bad that the prince didn't see you when you were growing up. I had that privilege," he said with a grin, kissing the tip of her nose lightly. "That move might have just cracked the legendary cool facade of the prince of Mirkwood," he said, barely sparing a glance at the prince's direction. The dance ended and he led her back near the Lady Galadriel, far enough from the prince. "Tell me princess, are you absolutely sure you do not see the prince that way?" he asked, a serious expression on his well, serious face.
"If he so much looks at me in a way that is not befitting for someone who is getting married to my sister, he'd better protect his nether regions from my knee," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Glad to hear that then. I'll just talk to the Lord Celeborn of some orc sightings near the South border—"
"Now?" Arienne asked disappointedly.
"Well, I don't see a sulking prince anywhere at the moment so I'd say you're pretty safe for the few minutes that I'll be gone," he said, kissing her forehead. "Smile for me then?" He watched as she lifted the corner of her lips to smile. "I'd kiss you but your grandmother's eyes haven't left you for the past hour," he said amusedly as her lips twitched in laughter once more. "I'll see you in a while," he said in parting, kissing her hand instead before leaving to look for the Lord Celeborn.
As soon as the March Warden left Arienne side, she was besieged by other male elves who wished to dance with her but she quickly avoided them by dodging behind the Lady Galadriel who simply looked at her mock-disapprovingly. "I'll be back in a while," she mouthed to her grandmother before disappearing into the forest.
Whew, that was pretty close, she thought to herself. Kethaera owes me so much for this, she added irritatedly, bunching up her dress to her knees so she could walk more freely down to the banks to clear her head for a few minutes before her grandmother demanded her presence in the feast once more.
How could she coherently phrase what she felt about the situation? Haldir was not joking that the prince seemed to always have an odd look in his eyes whenever she was around. She dismissed it more often now that they were in Lorien just so she wouldn't have to think about what those looks meant. It confused her even more since he had just declared that he loved her sister! If he loved Kethaera, then why in Valar's name was he acting that way? If the position she was in right now wasn't serious, she would have chuckled at the reverse of their roles now.
It was clear as daylight that the prince didn't simply look at her like his little star, his little sister. A part of her felt ashamed at what seemed like an infidelity she was making him commit. She wasn't naive to know that he wasn't pure enough to not notice other elleths and yet that other elleth had to be her! And yet, a part of her couldn't help it. It was Kethaera who thrust them into that situation where feelings had to be dealt with. No. No. Not feelings. Feelings weren't involved unless they were of anger or irritation. It simply was about attraction.
But Haldir was attractive as well. As attractive as the prince, in fact. And yet, how could the prince ignite such fire with a simple touch while with Haldir, a dance, a few kisses, induced none but affection? Arienne inwardly snorted at the thought that if the two elegant elves would come to blows, the fine prince would end up as pulp. There was no doubt about it. But for what the prince lacked in brute strength, he made up with his agility and litheness.
"There's really no use comparing," she said out loud, scuffing the earth beneath her satin slippers.
"What did I tell you about talking to yourself?" a slurred voice spoke suddenly.
Arienne whipped her head to the direction of the sound, for what seemed like the millionth time in her life. She saw a shadowed figure leaning on one of the tree trunks. "What did I tell you about stalking me?" she snapped turning her heels around and walking back to the feast, not wanting to talk to that particular elf when after only a few steps, she felt his hand clamp down on her upper arm, pulling her around. "You're drunk!" she stated angrily, smelling the fire whiskey on his lips. "Let go! Wha—"
Before she could say anything else, Legolas' mouth quickly lowered to the elleth's surprised ones. His lips didn't make room for her to adjust to the bruising kiss as he delved into her mouth assultingly; thrusting and withdrawing without the shocked elleth's permission. His other hand, straining her struggling form as the other cupped the back of her head. A hungry groan escaping his lips as a strangled cry came out of hers in fright. With his mind hazed with alcohol, all he felt was the soft and full lips of his little star...and yet they were too unyielding.
Lifting his lips from hers, with his glazed eyes, he found a stricken look on her face. "Aielen," he said softly and as if gravity was pulling him to an unknown force found in her lips, he lowered them again as she tried to push him away from her.
"No, please! Legolas!" she screamed, muffled by his lips covering her mouth. His grip tightened more at her struggle as she pushed him away from her. "No...no, Eru! Please, stop! This is wrong.." Arienne gasped as she felt her back connect to something hard and rough. She needed to get away from him, she must get away from him! Tears raced down from her eyes at her helplessness. Why wouldn't he stop?
"How can something so sweet be so wrong? Kiss me back little one," he demanded, his lips barely a millimeter from her mouth.
Shock prevented her from moving at all and he took this as compliance until when she thought she would vomit from the sickness of the situation, the heavy weight that crushed her was lifted away. Her legs gave way, her back skimming down the trunk as she shuddered with tears. All she heard next was a fist connecting with bone and angry cries.
Wincing at the swimming figures in front of her, she saw an enraged March Warden standing over a seemingly unconscious Legolas. Hearing her gasp gulps of breath, he turned towards her with anger and concern. "It's alright princess, it's alright," he said soothingly, keeping control his strangled anger in his throat as Arienne limply let herself be taken into the arms of the Warden. "He's not going to hurt you now."
He has hurt me indefinitely, she thought brokenly, letting the trauma flow out of her eyes.
okay...that was a little dark. no, it wasn't rape. it was assault, however. that, my friends, is what alcohol can do to you. yes, elves have a high tolerance so let's just say he drank a friggin lot to make him that inebriated. so how's about clicking that button to review me and tell me how much i suck for mangling the holier-than-thou image of our dear prince? :) by the way, this chapter is 6000 words long, so how's bout you make your reviews extra long as well? :)
so up next chapter would be legolas and arienne in audience with lady galadriel before being sent home to eryn lagaslen.
oh..and please, read and review my HP fic, a james potter/lily evans ship entitled Letters to You. :)
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