Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR. I also don't own Caleniel, Cadunír, Rodwen, Thinedhel, or Gaenír; they belong to Tador, who has given me permission to use her characters for my own twisted ideas.
Lady Caleniel
By: Mika Saito
Chapter 3- Surprise
Caleniel woke early in the morning, before the normal time that Rodwen came into her room to make sure she was up. After she quickly bathed and put on a dress from the closet she left the room, intent on taking a long walk to clear her mind. Her plan fail when she walked outside to see King Thranduil and Legolas talking, Legolas's back facing her.
King Thranduil looked up, motioning for her to join them when he finally noticed her standing there uncertainly.
"Come, join us Lady Caleniel." The sudden change of topic and the mention of Caleniel surprised Legolas and he looked up, his surprise evident in his eyes.
"You're up early Caleniel." Legolas found his voice, and immediately wished he hadn't, as the lack of formality surprised the King.
"I don't normally sleep that much Prince." Caleniels choice of words surprised and confused Thranduil even more. He looked questioningly between the two, looking for an answer.
"Please, no formalities Caleniel, call me Legolas." Legolas saw his fathers confusion, and understood. He should have asked her to drop the title the day before, as she had.
"I think I'll stick with Prince." Caleniel smiled sweetly, knowing that she was mocking the prince. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to take a walk now." Caleniel moved past the king and tried to pass Legolas, but he stood and placed himself in front of her. Thranduil left, shaking his head, he didn't know why the two didn't get along to well.
"That's not very nice of you." Legolas teased while smiling at her.
"I don't trust you." Caleniel narrowed her eyes at Legolas, as if she were waiting for him to do something unexpected.
"So you don't trust me?" Legolas asked, his eyes narrowing angrily.
"No, I don't. Why should I trust someone with such poor aim?"
"What does my aim have to do with this?" Legolas's eye twitched.
"People who I trust, unlike you, I would trust with my life, if I ever needed the help." Caleniel shot back angrily.
"I saved you." Legolas lowered his voice, hoping to bring the argument down to a normal conversation.
"I could have saved myself!" Caleniel cried angrily, her statement surprising Legolas.
"You could have saved yourself? How? Would you have been able to protect your friend?"
"She could have, if she had been given the chance." Haldir appeared in the doorway. "Did you sleep well Lady Caleniel?" He turned toward Caleniel, leaving Legolas looking stumped.
"How?" Legolas asked the unanswered question again.
"I don't know, but she would have found a way, she always does." Haldir smiled at Caleniel.
"She always does? She is in fights all the time?" Legolas was interested now.
"Almost every time I visit Lothlórien." Caleniel stepped back into the conversation, annoyed at the way they kept talking about her as if she wasn't there.
"You visit Lothlórien often?" Legolas asked curiously.
"Of course, how else is…." Caleniel was cut off by Haldir's glare.
"Your father told you not to speak of that." Haldir warned.
"Then you shouldn't have joined the conversation, you gave away more than I would have!" Caleniel hit Haldir lightly over the head.
"Hey! That's no way to treat someone who was trying to help you." Haldir pretended to be hurt and shrank back behind Legolas.
"He probably already suspects, so he might as well know the truth. I visit Lothlórien so often so that Haldir can train me." Haldir groaned. Cadunír was not going to be happy about Caleniel telling the Prince about the one thing that he had asked her not to speak of to anyone. Caleniel giggled at Haldir. "What? Don't like it that a she-elf can defeat the guards you have trained?" Caleniel giggled more when Haldir clenched his jaw and stayed quiet.
"If you'll excuse me Caleniel, I have some things Elrond wanted me to discuss with Thranduil." Haldir left quickly, glad to have an excuse to leave.
An awkward silence settled over Legolas and Caleniel, with everyone else gone they were left to their thoughts. Legolas was feeling slightly embarrassed and was trying to figure out what to say that would not warrant him an injury. Caleniel was trying to think of a way to apologize for running away from him without making it seem like she was ok with him just kissing her without any warning.
"Prince…." Caleniel started, but Legolas interrupted.
"Please, call me Legolas." He insisted.
"As I told you before, Prince is fine." Caleniel kept her face downcast, hoping he would not see the light blush spreading across her cheeks. "As I was saying, Prince, I'm sorry for running from you last night, but your kiss surprised me." Caleniels voice was calm, hiding the fact that she was really seething with anger. Anger at the way he had just kissed her, without even asking if she was ok with it, and anger at the way she had melted in his arms.
"It's I who should be sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you without your permission." Legolas looked at her, hoping that she would forgive him, but she didn't say anything.
Caleniel walked away from Legolas, now needing the walk even more that before. She hadn't gone far when Legolas grabbed her arm.
"Its isn't safe to wander to far by yourself." Legolas's voice was concerned.
"I can take care of myself." Caleniel hissed at Legolas and pulled her arm away, trying to hide the blush that was now staining her cheeks a very noticeable red from the contact. Legolas saw the blush and smiled inwardly. Caleniel quickly left Legolas standing by himself.
Why does he make me feel like this? Why do I feel giddy and happy around him? Caleniel was deep in thought as walked, her eyes were downcast, and she did not see where she was going.
"Lady Caleniel!" The voice of Thinedhel brought her out of her thoughts.
"What is it Thinedhel?" She was careful to keep her voice calm, despite the turmoil inside her.
"You shouldn't be out here by yourself." He fell in beside her as walked.
"You're the second person to tell me that." She mumbled, losing herself in her thoughts again.
"Prince Legolas was the other, no doubt." Thinedhel chuckled lightly. "He told me to watch you, make sure that nothing happens to you." Caleniel stopped and turned to face him.
"And why should he care what happens to me?" Caleniel questioned softly.
"Because he has feelings for you." Thinedhel smiled when he saw Caleniels' surprise.
"He has feelings for me?" Caleniel thought about it. He had been somewhat kind to her, the occasional argument being the exception. He had apologized for the kiss, though it was really her who should have been sorry. Caleniel sighed and shook her head. "He can't possibly have feelings for me," she spoke quietly to herself. "And I hope he doesn't." Caleniel moved angrily away from Thinedhel.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to finish my walk now," Thinedhel started to follow her, "alone." She finished and left Thinedhel standing by himself, confused.
"Is she really that dense as to not notice Prince Legolas's feelings?" Thinedhel shook his head and followed Caleniel. He had to do as he was told, and the Prince had told him to keep an eye on Caleniel.
Legolas stood where Caleniel had left him for a while before heading toward the guard who had been with Caleniel. The guard, Thinedhel, had asked if he could be of any use while he was in Mirkwood, so his father had given him a post. Legolas spotted the guard easily, as he was dressed differently than the other elves around him.
"Thinedhel!" Legolas called to the guard as he approached.
"Huh?" The guard turned to face Legolas, "What is it Prince Legolas?"
"I want you to keep an eye on Caleniel."
"Where is she?"
"She went for a walk."
"She is capable of taking care of herself." Thinedhel pointed out the obvious to Legolas while smiling.
"I'm aware of that. But I don't want anything to happen to her, and it's not exactly safe here, not with the orc attack the other day." Thinedhel nodded, knowing that he should not argue with the Prince, and left to find Caleniel.
Legolas sighed and shook his head slightly, trying to dislodge the uneasy feeling. He searched his mind for something to help him relax as he started walking, not entirely paying attention to where he was going.
His feet led him to the library, where he found his father and Haldir talking quietly.
"Is Elrond sure that that's what he's after?" Kind Thranduil's voice was worried.
"Yes, Elrond couldn't think of anything else he could want, not with how fond he was of her." Haldir shook his head.
"Legolas, you might as well join us." The king called to Legolas, having heard his son's approach.
"I did not mean to disturb your talk, I was merely looking for something to do." Legolas apologized as he sat next to his father.
"It's alright, my son, you should hear this as well." Thranduil smiled kindly, though worry was present in his eyes.
"What is it you were discussing?"
"An elf that was exiled from Rivendell has reappeared. Elrond thinks that he is after revenge. Meaning that he will most likely try to assassinate Cadunír again." Haldir looked at Legolas, wondering how he would react.
"Why was he exiled?" Legolas inquired. He had heard of the elf, Gaenír, but he had never learned why he had been exiled.
"He tried to assassinate Cadunír, Lady Caleniels father." Thranduil looked at his son, Legolas's reaction would show if he had feelings for Lady Caleniel or not.
"Why would he want to assassinate Caleniels' father?" Legolas looked back and forth between the two, but neither answered, though it was obvious they knew.
"It doesn't matter now." Haldir finally answered. Legolas opened his mouth to speak, but a stern look from his father stopped him.
"What does Elrond plan to do?" Thranduil turned to Haldir, returning to the original conversation that had been going on when Legolas had showed up.
"He's put guards around Cadunír. That was also one of the reason's for sending Lady Caleniel now, so that she is out of danger for a time, if Cadunír is who he's after."
"I see." The king's expression was thoughtful.
"For now he just wants you to be aware of the possible danger that Lady Caleniel is in." Haldir stood. "I should be leaving now."
"Yes, you need to get back as soon as possible." The King agreed as he and Legolas stood. "Tell him the elves of Mirkwood stand ready to assist if needed." Haldir nodded and left the room.
"Why did Gaenír try to assassinate Cadunír?" Legolas turned to his father, intent on getting an answer.
"It doesn't concern you." Thranduil spoke quietly.
"It concerns Caleniel, so it concerns me." Legolas shot back. Thranduil sighed, knowing that Legolas did have a point.
"Gaenír tried to assassinate Cadunír because Lady Caleniel had been promised to him, but then Cadunír changed his mind and decided that you would be better for his only daughter."