Chapter 8: Royal Retreat

When Serena turned around to follow the Fellowship, she made eye contact with the silver blue eyes of one, Legolas. She smiled as she touched her Crystal to detransform but Legolas blurted out, "No, leave it. It looks very becoming on you, Lady of the Moon."

Serena smiled at his comment, even all that he has seen and the things that she had said, he has not lost his familiarity and kindness towards her. She touched her Crystal once but only her tier disappeared. She accepted Legolas' outstretched hand as the two began their exploration of Lithorien together. Before long, Serena realized that their hands were intertwined and hers was moulded into his.

They walked in silence. It was a comfortable feeling as both reminisced previous events. They reached a secluded part of the forest where the moon rays poured through, shining its luminance. Serena once more began to charm moon rays but since she was in her Cosmetic Princess incarnation and under the influence of her emotion, the moon rays danced in a silver rainbow around her and Legolas. The moon rays were delighted to have such bright energies in their presence and even more thrilled to entertain the Princess of the Moon.

To Serena and Legolas, the moon glows felt cool leaving a tingling sensation to the touch. In the dance of the moon beams, they felt their souls cleansed. All their troubles were left behind and forgotten for the moment. They only saw each other like the first time they met at the side of waterfall at Rivendell.

As the moon rays finished their dance, they led them to a garden filled with flowers of all sorts of colours from white, to soft pink, to lavender and to orange and red. Petals of flowers formed a soft bed for the couple as they settled closely next to each other. Legolas was leaning on support of a great weeping willow with Serena wrapped in front of him. Their hands found each other once more on top of Serena's stomach. Legolas breath in the scent in the midst of Serena's hair, almost intoxicating. Since Serena's hair was now tied up, he noticed something that he should of taken note before.

The wound... the same one that was discovered before Haldir and his men interrupted them. The same wound inflicted by orc arrow. It was marred by poison. One wounded by it would be infected as well but here was Lady Serena, alive and well. His hand gently caressed the wound on her shoulder blade. There was a slight gash, black in contrast to her cream-coloured skin. She flinched slightly to the touch and he immediately withdrew his hand.

"I'm quite all right. It does not hurt anymore. My Crystal heals me of any physical pain ..." she said turning around to face him.

"Only physical pain ..."

He reached up to loosen her hair from its bounds for he had rarely seen it worn down with the exception of Rivendell. Now he found himself drawn to her golden veil but she carefully drawn it off to one side. The moon penetrated her skin, highlighting the parts that were previously covered by her hair.

They were closer than ever before. Legolas ducked down and placed a soft kiss upon her wound, almost teasing her. She leaned back further using his chest as support to allow him better access. She could feel his heart beating fast as he slowly made his way up her right side from her shoulder and up to her neck. She moaned softly with each graze from his tender lips. Legolas too savouring each delicate touch.

As he lessened the distance between their lips, his silver blue eyes pierced into her cerulean pearls. An unspoken message was passed as they kissed beneath the moon. His hand ran through her hair and hers fumbled with his. The kiss deepened when she opened her mouth slightly and allowed him access. Both longing for more but could not get enough. Turning this way and that, they broke apart with breath and heart beat racing. They turned to short, broken kisses before intensifying them once more.

They felt that they were escalating into the air and when they looked beneath them, they were in fact two feet above the ground. Serena's snow white wings appeared and since Legolas were wrapped around Serena, they were both suspended. When the thought finally sank in, they fell but Legolas landed first pulling Serena on top of him.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No ..." but her voice was muffled in his chest.

"That was an incredible feeling and the view above was magnificent but it does not surpass the beauty, strength and the courage of the Angel of the Moon that I have in my arms."

He meant everything that he had said and more. He had met and known her with no previous knowledge of her past, her powers or of her Crystal. It had never occurred to him that such factors should be considered for he could feel the purity and goodness within her. In the first moments, he could see her strength and exuberant graces that he both admired. It was just not beauty but the boundless energy that she found in the darkest that drew him to her.

She looked up in surprise and happiness. "But tonight, I am simply Legolas as you are simply Serena. Come, I want to show you something."

He entangled himself and pulled Serena to her feet. Then he startled her by picking her up in his arms, cradling her. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded her head as he led their climb up the weeping willow before them with speed and expertise only could be acknowledge in an Elf. When they near the top, he set her upon a strong branch that curved down slightly serving as a seat. He supported her once more as he began whispering in Elvish and often translated in the Common Tongue the legends about the 'Last Crown in the Stars' and the stories of Lithorien and all the wonders of the world.

Legolas' tones and the language of the Elves both calm and soothed Serena as she laid back. As his chest rise and fall, his voice was in the back of her mind liked a lullaby rocking a child to sleep. The lazy breeze blew and tickled her bangs and ruffled her hair but she felt her eye lids too heavy to keep open.

Legolas eventually realized that Serena felt heavier in his arms and that her breathing had grew steady. He knew that she had fallen asleep so with that he shifted the weight in his arms and turned his head toward the moon. Though Elves rarely sleep, but tonight he was not plagued by constant worries and fear of the enemies behind each shadow.

An unsuspecting figure may not notice the two sleeping figures perching on top of the weeping willow. One maiden was clearly in deep slumber while the other holding her in his arms may appear to have his eyes opened but in truth, he too was dreaming of his own fantasies. The intruder of the night was satisfied with the scene portrayed and with that once more disappeared into the shadows and leaving the lovers in their retreat.

End of Chapter 8