Well, chapter 20! This was only supposed to be 6 – 7 chapters long originally but now it seems I still have quite a few chapters to go.

Many thanks for your reviews. It always makes my day to see them.

Miss Sofie, - Thanks for finding the time 'cos I know you've been ill recently and snowed under with work – hope things improve for you soon. Brace yourself for more soppiness – ROFL! There'll be plenty of action when we get to Helm's Deep! Thanks for your help.

Haldir's Heart and Soul – Oh, don't be so hard on old Thandy! He's just a very protective father. He loves her really! And as for Haldir – well he is regarded as being the most arrogant Elf on Middle Earth, isn't he? I don't think he cares much about being diplomatic.

Mortal Evenstar – I cried too, (and I was writing it!) Happier times to come but I'm giving a warning now – you might want to order your tissues in advance 'cos later on it's going to get heart-wrenchingly sad!

Loeke77 – Chapter 21 almost done.

Brownie24 – Yep, I was on a roll – but the next chapters may take longer as I'm finding it necessary to write more pages as the story gets more involved.

One last point – brought to my attention by Miss Sofie. She has pointed out; some of the words I use are quite complex and difficult for readers whose first language is not English. I can only apologise but by way of explanation I offer the following; many fictions are made stilted and unpleasant to read because of the constant repartition of common words. I believe, in order to convey the true feelings and emotions of characters and situations and also, to improve the 'flow' of the text, it is sometimes necessary to use language which is not commonly used – hence the use of 'big words'. I hope this doesn't make the story too difficult for you, the readers. Thank you Miss Sofie – a very valid point!

Anyway, I have taken enough of your time – on with the tale!

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Forever Yours

Chapter 20

Mounted and with the royal guard in attendance, Arien and her family departed the fair realm of Lothlorien for Eryn Lasgalen. Thoughts of their leaving passed through her mind. Many had gathered to bid farewell, including Rumil and Orophin but of Haldir there was no sign. The Lord and Lady had wished all a safe journey but no warmth passed between them and the King, although Legolas had attempted diplomacy by way of placation;

"I thank you for your hospitality. Ever will I reflect upon the beauty of Lothlorien with fondness. I trust our next meeting will be under more pleasant circumstances."

As they rode, Legolas held his own contemplation; immediately prior to departure he had heard a gentle voice within his mind;

"You leave with much grief, Legolas, but do not despair. We shall meet again not long from now and much will be resolved. Be of stout heart for your sister, as she will need your guidance and love greatly. Do not allow her to sink into despair and strive to keep her hopes alive."

Legolas frowned slightly as he thought on the Lady's words; he could not foresee any circumstances in the near future which would necessitate a return. He did not doubt, however, her affirmation of Arien's need for his support and turned his gaze toward his sister. He was saddened to see she appeared even more melancholic than the previous night; depression wrapped around her like a shroud; her features a mask of sobriety. He observed her eyes darted to either side in an attempt to pierce the denseness of the trees; he assumed she was searching for one last glimpse of her love but felt sure Haldir would not be so cavalier as to make himself visible. As the trees thinned to signal their departure from the Golden Wood, he watched her despondency as she surrendered to the inevitable realisation of his absence. She slumped slightly in her saddle and sank into further misery. Legolas drew his horse alongside hers and said, quietly;

"Do not despair. It would have been foolhardy for Haldir to attempt to see you. Surely you would not wish our father to be further enraged? Better to hold to the visions you have of him in your mind."

"And what of your memories of your last meeting with Haldir?" she asked him, sadly, and then added fiercely, "You have lost a very dear friend because of our father's stupidity and stubbornness. How I wish he had not come to Lothlorien! I hate him!"

Legolas was shocked by the vehemence of her words;

"Do not speak with such cruel accusation, Arien. I do not condone his thoughts or reasoning but I understand why he would act in the way he has. He knows little save what he has seen and heard for himself!"

"You are too loyal, Legolas, and I wish to hear no more of your defence of our father. I begin to think Haldir's words were true!"

She urged her horse to canter well ahead of her brother's and as Legolas watched, he felt the devastation of her words tear at his heart.

As the party disappeared into the plains, Haldir strained his elven vision, reluctant to relinquish the last glimpse of his beloved. When he could see her no more, he descended from the tree in which he had concealed himself and drifted into the forest with only his grief for company.

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Thranduil paced the Great Hall of the palace; his hands clasped firmly behind his back, his mind troubled. He had always delighted in the joy and comfort his young daughter brought him, but since their return from Lothlorien some months previous, she had done everything she could to avoid his presence. She ate alone and spent every waking moment secreted in her apartment. On several occasions he had attempted to draw her out of her self-imposed isolation but each time he met with resolute defiance. He knew Legolas faired little better. For a time after their return home, his son constantly bombarded him with tales of her recalcitrance and he reflected how seldom Legolas was seen within the palace. He appeared to spend most of his time with the guards, even preferring to sleep at the barracks; anything to avoid Arien's guilt-inducing glances. Legolas had attributed his absence to the necessity for increased vigilance regarding the prisoner entrusted to the safe keeping of Eryn Lasgalen. The captive, Gollum, was an undesirable and untimely responsibility, given the problems within the family, but unavoidable nonetheless. He had been captured in the Dead Marshes by the Ranger, Aragorn, who subsequently charged Thranduil with his incarceration. Gollum was a creature foul of deed and action; half a year had past since first he had been delivered into their hands and the Elves found his presence extremely trying.

Thranduils's contemplation was interrupted by the arrival of a somewhat agitated guard;

"My Lord, I fear I have dire news. The creature, Gollum, has escaped!"

Thranduil was startled by the revelation and demanded to know what had lead to such a debacle. The guard reported how they felt it was cruel to keep any living thing in darkness continually and since the weather had been most clement, had allowed the miserable creature to exercise in daylight. During a sudden Orc attack in which the lives of several guards were lost, Gollum had disappeared. The prince and many of the guard were in pursuit but held little hope for his recapture.

Thranduil closed his eyes in frustration and rounded on the Elf, demanding;

"Who was the irresponsible officer in charge of this disaster?"

The guard hesitated then said, falteringly;

"Prince Legolas, My Lord!"

Thranduil expression changed from concern to disbelief. He shouted at the guard, angrily;

"Find him and send him to me!"

The startled Elf wasted no time in distancing himself from his raging monarch.

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Half a year passed and of Gollum there was no sign. The strained relationship between Prince and King eased little; indeed, it worsened, as the King claimed Gollum's escape was entirely due to his son's too soft heart. They both despaired of Arien who maintained her solitary existence and appeared oblivious to all.

Legolas sat alone in the palace gardens, once more bemoaning the loss of closeness with his beloved sister, when he observed the hurried arrival of a strange Elf in the courtyard. By his clothing, Legolas identified him as a citizen of Rivendell, the realm of the Elf-lord, Elrond. Curious to the purpose of his visit, the prince made his way to the audience chamber to which the Elf would assuredly be escorted. Almost at the same moment Legolas reached the chamber, the strange Elf rushed in and hastened to make obeisance before the King;

"Mae'govannen, King Thranduil. I bring a message from Lord Elrond of Rivendell."

Thranduil bid him continue. The messenger delivered news of so startling a nature, all present were greatly concerned. He informed them of the discovery of the One Ring. It had been thought lost following the death of Isildur but had been found by a Halfling by the name Sméagol and was in turn acquired by another Halfling named Bilbo Baggins who had secreted it until the present. Bilbo had passed the ring to his nephew, Frodo, and on the instruction of the Istari, Mithrandir had, at great peril to himself and those who accompanied him, arrived with the aid of Aragorn, to Rivendell. Lord Elrond had called a Council whereby representatives of all Free People in Middle Earth were to assemble to discuss the fate of the Ring. King Thranduil was requested to send an emissary as swiftly as possible in order that his views on the matter may be heard and also to affirm the continued safe incarceration of the one known as Gollum.

Thranduil dismissed the messenger and called his son to his private chamber.

Legolas entered and uncomfortably awaited his father's instructions. Since Gollum's, escape they had exchanged little by way of conversation, save only the pleasantries demanded by politeness. He was surprised when his father placed a hand on his shoulder and said;

"Legolas, we have received grim news indeed. If, as we are led to believe, the existence of the One Ring has been revealed, Sauron will stop at nothing to posses it. Only you can truly represent my views regarding an event of such great import to this realm. I am therefore charging you with the task of imparting our position at the Council."

Legolas was momentarily taken aback at his father's change of heart regarding him. He looked questioningly at the king as his father continued;

"Petty family problems must be set aside, my son. I regret allowing my stubbornness to dim the love and trust we have always enjoyed. I have no doubt in your ability or competency to fulfil this duty. Will you accept?"

Legolas smiled warmly at his father and replied, humbly;

"I have been remiss in allowing my emotions to come between us. I am proud to be Thranduil's emissary and give my word to carry this charge with unerring conscience."

They embraced and Legolas, buoyed by the resumption of a more pleasant relationship with his father, was eager to tend another troubled situation which, for too long had been allowed to fester;

"Forgive me, father, but there is another matter which must now be addressed. I feel Arien has had far too much time alone and I cannot leave lest I know our family is complete and at peace once more."

Thranduil did not hinder his departure as he was entirely in agreement with his son.

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Arien sat alone in her room. She had become well accustomed to her solitary existence and cared not about the views of those around her. Several times she had overheard hushed conversations outside her window or door and knew many questioned her sanity. She lived only for her memories and constant thoughts of the Marchwarden of Lothlorien. She approached each day with renewed hope but by the setting of the sun, would sink once more into the depths of hopelessness. Oft she would surrender to the quirks of her imagination; she would run away to join her love; Haldir would appear and steal her away. She had just embarked upon another journey within her mind when she became aware of the presence of another. She turned to see her brother standing in the doorway. She had not seen him for some time and he was shocked by her appearance. Her once beautiful hair had lost its lustre; her complexion pallid; her face drawn. She regarded him with haunted eyes;

"What is it you want, Legolas? Have you come once again to ply me with soft words and affirmations of affection?"

"No, Arien," replied Legolas, softly, "I have come to say goodbye!"

Arien thought on his words for a moment;

"Why are you telling me this? You are always going away. Even when I was a child, you deserted me for your travels."

"I never deserted you, Arien, for to desert is not to return and I always came back to you."

Legolas paused and said, leadingly;

Why do you not say what is truly in your heart?"

Arien lowered her head but he lifted her face to his and was saddened to see tears in her eyes. She pushed herself away from him and could no longer withhold the torrent of emotion which flowed from her;

"You betrayed me. You sacrificed my love and happiness for fear of our father. When I needed you most, you abandoned me. That is what is in my heart, brother! That is why I am become the pathetic elleth you see before you. Stay or go; the choice is yours. Either way it means little to me!"

Legolas reeled from the intensity of her words. Guilt washed over him and he rushed toward Arien, pulling her into his arms. She fought against him, struggling and screaming, but he held her tighter, restricting further her ineffectual blows until her strength was spent. Exhausted, she ceased her struggles and collapsed limply against him; her anger commuted to submission as she began to cry and waves of self pity washed over her;

"Go, Legolas." she said, her voice devoid of emotion, "I have nothing more to say; no words of comfort with which to ease your journey. I care nothing for this life now or the events within it. If the Valar are merciful, you will be relieved of my troublesome presence by the time of your return!"

Legolas released her and backed out of the room as Arien once more retreated into her shell of isolation.

Thranduil stood in the corridor outside his daughter's apartment in the hope of a happy reunion with his children but was dismayed when he heard Arien's voice raised in anger. He greeted his son, resignedly;

"Your words fell upon deaf ears, Legolas?"

"I fear for Arien, Father!" the prince replied, anxiously. "She appears to have given up all hope and reason. I will leave tomorrow with a heavy heart."

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Throughout the night, Thranduil paced incessantly as his mind toiled to find a solution to the dilemma he now faced. He feared to relinquish the stand he had taken regarding a match with the Marchwarden; he had made a decision and had never been known to retract a command. However, he realised unless he attempted some form of mediation, his daughter would be lost to him.

Shortly before dawn, he rapped lightly upon Arien's door. He received no reply but entered regardless. His daughter lay on her bed, curled into a tight ball. His heart heaved with despair as he beheld the look of anguish in her features; apparent even in sleep. He sat beside her and stroked her hair, tenderly. Arien awoke but did not pull away from him as he supposed she might. Instead, she looked at him sadly and questioningly, confused by his presence;

"My dearest, Arien," began the king, quietly. "My heart breaks to see you this way. I felt I was protecting you but I see now I have caused you more hurt by my decision than anything I had perceived would arise from a poor match. Also, by marrying one from another realm, you would have to leave here, and I was not ready to entrust another to protect and care for you, especially one whom I perceived was directly linked to the incident in which you were almost lost to us all. However, I see your heart's choice must be true, as you cling so devotedly to the memory of him. I am not willing to lose you completely, Arien, and so I am going to do something I have never done before – I am going yield."

Arien looked at her father in disbelief. He had conceded defeat. She saw the desperation in his eyes as he awaited some indication of her acceptance of his words but she remained silent, so he continued;

"Think upon what I have said. It was not easy but I am not without heart, Arien. I know what it is to love someone so desperately; I loved your mother in that way and if not for you and your brother, would long ago have given into grief. I know I am stubborn but not so much so as to be willing to sacrifice the life of my child to prove a point! As for your treatment of Legolas, you wrong him greatly with your accusations. He is my son; a prince of this realm. If he were to disobey my commands, then we should have anarchy, and do not forget, his obedience cost him not only your love, but a dear friendship."

Arien looked surprised that her father should know what had passed between Legolas and Haldir, but the king continued;

"Legolas told me of Haldir's accusations. Truly, they have been friends for so long, he also should have known better than to question your brother's integrity. Legolas does not deserve your condemnation and yearns your acceptance of him once more. He came earlier to inform you of a journey he is shortly to undertake; the outcome of which is known to none. He may be gone for some time and I feel you should reconsider your treatment of him that he does not depart with anguish still weighing heavily upon him."

The king departed, leaving Arien alone with her thoughts.

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The following morning saw Legolas and his aides prepared to leave for Rivendell. Thranduil had conveyed his thoughts to his son and watched disconsolately as the prince mounted his horse. They had discussed the conversation with Arien of the night previous and both hoped fervently for reconciliation but it had not been forthcoming. Suddenly, the prince jerked back on the reins as he heard his name;

"Legolas! Hold!"

Arien ran across the courtyard and he dismounted swiftly, in time to catch her as she flew into his arms;

"Forgive me! I was wrong to submit you to such cruelty. I should not have accused you so readily. I know now you had no choice and could not let you leave knowing all was not well between us."

Legolas beamed with happiness and kissed Arien's cheek fervently;

"Ah, Arien! How can I begin to describe my relief? I had feared you were lost to me, but now I will undertake my mission unburdened, knowing you will be waiting on my return."

He hugged her once more and Thranduil smiled contentedly as his son rode away from the palace.

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A month passed and no word was forthcoming from Rivendell. However, the affection of the princess for her father grew stronger with each day that passed. They took comfort in each other's company as they impatiently awaited news of the Council. They were at breakfast when a messenger arrived with a scroll which bore the seal of Lord Elrond. Thranduil received it and Arien watched nervously as he unfurled it and read the letter quickly. He turned to Arien and with a voice tinged with concern, informed her of its contents;

"The Council has concluded the only solution to the danger posed by the One Ring is to ensure it is unmade. To that end, a Fellowship has been formed to safeguard the passage of the one who bears the Ring. Every race is represented in the Fellowship; Men, Dwarves, Halflings and Elves. It appears your brother saw fit to offer his protection on behalf of our people. He is to depart Rivendell by winter."

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Tbc

Please R&R (I'm lonely and insecure – lol!) Chapter 21 very soon!