Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR. I also don't own Caleniel, Cadunír, Rodwen, Thinedhel, Gaenír, or Aearoniell; they belong to Tador and Aearoniell, who have given me permission to use their characters for my own twisted ideas.
Lady Caleniel
By: Mika SaitoChapter 5- First Love
Caleniel sighed for probably the hundredth time in the past hour. Legolas had been gone for a full week, and she was bored out of her mind, at least with Legolas or Haldir around she had someone to talk to. Rodwen, while being her best friend, was attending to other things, like over seeing her wedding plans.
She wandered aimlessly through the lush gardens, her mind annoyingly blank. She was so lost in her thoughts of nothing that she didn't notice the tall elf standing in front of her until she ran into him.
"I'm sorry." She didn't look up.
"It's alright my lady." The voice sounded familiar and her head snapped up in a very unladylike manner, her eyes meeting with a pair of azure eyes, her breath caught in her throat. So much like Legolas's eyes. She caught the thought and scolded herself, Stop thinking about that creep. This elf obviously isn't him; his voice is too deep.
"Gaenír?" The name escaped her lips without a thought.
"Lady Caleniel!" The elf was surprised. "I never thought I'd see you again." His voice lowered and his eyes softened.
"Nor I you." Caleniel laughed lightly, something she had not done since Legolas had left.
An awkward silence grew between them as the started walking.
"How did they allow you into Mirkwood, I highly doubt they'd agree with you being here, seeing as you tried to kill my father." Caleniel asked quietly, the question had been on her mind since they had started walking.
"They don't know it's me. They think I'm just another elf visiting Mirkwood." He glanced at Caleniel; she smiled at him, obviously happy.
"Come, lets go somewhere more private to talk." Caleniel grabbed Gaenírs' hand and led him toward her room, he followed without complaint, his plan was working.
"How have you been for the past few years, Caleniel?" Caleniel shivered at the way he spoke her name.
"I had been fine, until recently when my father announced my engagement to the Prince of Mirkwood." Gaenír seemed surprised.
"So that's whom he chose over me…" He spoke quietly, as if speaking to himself, yet purposefully loud enough for Caleniel to hear.
"Yes." Caleniel sat down on one of the chairs and motioned Gaenír to do the same. "Though if it were my choice I wouldn't have chosen him."
"Who would you have chosen?" Gaenír asked while lightly taking her hand in his.
"You." Her answer was simple, but the way she spoke the single syllable showed how much she meant it.
Gaenír smiled and pulled her into a gentle hug. Caleniel snuggled into the embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Come away with me." Gaenír suddenly asked.
"What?" Caleniel pulled away so that she could search his eyes.
"Come away with me. Away from Mirkwood and Rivendell." Gaenír repeated. Caleniel smiled and buried her head in his tunic again, nodding her assent.
"When will we leave?" Caleniel asked, her voice muffled by the rough fabric of the tunic.
"Whenever you're ready to." Gaenír stood, pulling Caleniel to her feet with him.
"Let me pack a few things and we can leave." Gaenír released her from his arms and watched her move gracefully about her room, putting her training clothes and sword back in her small pack. She pulled out a few other articles of clothing from the closet and stuffing them in her small pack as well.
"Ready?" He asked softly when she finally came back to stand before him.
"Yes." Caleniel nodded.
"Meet me at the stables. I'll go grab my bag." Gaenír touched his lips lightly to hers.
She could only nod as he moved off down the hall, his long sandy blond hair swaying slightly in the breeze. Giggling, she walked toward the stables, not bothering to pay much attention to where she was going, again.
"Caleniel." Rodwens voice cut into her happy thoughts of Gaenír.
"What is it Rodwen?" Caleniel turned around to find Rodwen watching her suspiciously.
"Where are you going?" She eyed Caleniels pack. Caleniels eyes widened, realizing her mistake in not making sure she didn't run into any other elves who knew her, especially King Thranduil and Rodwen.
"Darn it." Caleniel mumbled to herself. Rodwen raised her eyebrows questioningly. "I'm going for a ride." Caleniel lied quickly, knowing that she still looked suspicious.
"If you're going riding, then you don't need that pack." Rodwen reasoned.
"It has my weapons in it, in case I get attacked." Caleniel took a cautious step away from Rodwen, if she stayed around much longer Rodwen would ask to look in it to be sure she was telling the truth, her friend knew her to well. "Bye!" She said quickly, and took off running.
I'm sorry Rodwen, I know you only want to do what's best for me, but I need to do this, to prove to father that I love Gaenír, and will not marry Legolas.
Aearoniell stood in the center of a dark room. Gaenírs plan was working quiet well on his end, so it was time to set her part into motion. Legolas was leaving the Glittering Caves soon, which would be when she made her entrance. Her silvery voice filled the silence as she whispered the spell that would disguise her.
The room fell silent; the spell was complete. Aearoniell left the room, her normal dark smile securely in place, her green eyes sparking triumphantly. It was time to test her disguise.
"Um…. Miss, you can't be here." A guard stepped forward, speaking hesitantly.
"Idiot." She snarled under her breath as she pulled out her twin daggers and slashed easily through the orc.
"Aearoniell?" a meek feminine voice spoke cautiously from the darkness of the shadows.
"Yes Elvellaswen?" Aearoniell turned to face the thin elf that was her servant.
"Lord Gaenír has sent you a message." Elvellaswen stepped forward and handed the scroll to Aearoniell.
"Good." Aearoniell waved toward the dead orc lying at her feet. "Have this cleaned up. Immediately." She walked off while unrolling the scroll.
"Yes My lady." Elvellaswen ran off to find another guard to carry the body away.
A sadistic smile spread slowly across Aearoniell's face, Gaenír had sent good news.
Aearoniell,
Caleviel has agreed to leave with me, you should not have to keep our dearest prince too long in the Glittering Caves, but take as long as you wish. Enjoy yourself, my love.
Aearoniell laughed; yes she was going to have fun with the Prince. Who wouldn't have fun tricking the young Prince of Mirkwood into believing a lie, he was so gullible.
"I guess now will be a good time to pay my dearest Legolas a little visit." Sarcasm dripped off her words. The words of the spell she had been thinking off instinctively formed, her voice a whisper in the dark hallways, dark was always better than the light to her.
"Are you sure you want to be leaving now" Gimli asked Legolas as they walked toward where Legolas's horse stood waiting. It had been less than a week since he had arrived in the Glittering caves to visit Gimli, and the whole time Legolas had seemed deep in thought.
Legolas had tried to hide what was bothering him, but his friend had figured out how to get him to talk years ago, so eventually he had spilled everything to Gimli. Everything mainly being his growing feelings for the she-elf who most of the time acted like she hated him.
"Of course I'm sure, master dwarf, I should be getting back to Mirkwood." Legolas smiled lightly.
"It's a shame you can't stay longer" They stopped by Legolas's horse.
"I shall have to come visit you again, my friend."
"Yes, and next time bring that she-elf, Caleniel, that you spoke so much of." The dwarf smiled at the light blush his comment brought to Legolas's cheeks.
"I shall have to convince her that I am safe to travel with."
"Prince?" A voice cut into the conversation, causing them to turn and face whom had spoken. It was Caleniel.
"Caleniel, what are you doing here?" Legolas moved quickly to her side, his worry apparent by his tone of voice. "Where's your horse?" The question seemed strange, yet it brought to their attention the fact that an elf, who was supposed to be in Mirkwood, was standing before them, her dress and face immaculate, and yet she was alone, without a horse.
"My horse?" She realized her mistake. "I don't know." She said the first thing that came to mind. " I…. Well… something…." She trailed off, her mind racing for an explanation. This was one thing she hadn't thought of; it was so trivial to the plan as a whole. "My horse… was frightened by something, and… he bolted. I lost my seating and fell… I couldn't find him."
Gimli looked skeptical, but Legolas seemed to accept the obvious lie.
"I'm glad your safe." Legolas pulled her into a hug, not bothering to think about how she had reacted the last time when he had kissed her. She didn't respond, but silently returned the hug while nuzzling his neck. Come Prince, step into my web. Aearoniell laughed in her mind.
"Why are you here?" Legolas whispered into her hair.
"I got bored without you around, and I have never met a dwarf before, so I decided to follow you." Legolas only tightened his arms around her waist for a moment before pulling away and turning toward Gimli.
"Gimli, this is Caleniel, my betrothed." He ignored the weird look on Gimli's face.
"Legolas, might I speak with you alone for a moment?" Gimli led Legolas away without waiting for an answer. "Legolas, that lass seems different than the one you were describing to me. She seemed to friendly." Legolas shook his head.
"No, it's her. Trust me Gimli." He looked over his shoulder at Aearoniell. "I think we'll stay here for a couple more days." Gimli grunted in response as Legolas made his way back to Aearoniell.
"Come, I'll show you around." Legolas offered her his arm and she gracefully took it. The action registered in the back of his mind as weird for a moment before he pushed the thought away.
A large smile was plastered on Caleniel's face, her eyes darting toward Gaenír every few minutes. They weren't to far away from the palace, yet far enough away that they were past the guards.
"Where are we going to go?" Caleniel turned in her saddle to face Gaenír, trusting that her horse would not run into anything.
"To where I have been living for the past few years, my love." He leaned toward Caleniel and kissed her, the feather soft touch sent shivers down her spine.
"How far away is it?" Caleniel pulled back from the delightful kiss, still curious about their destination.
"Four days ride. And that's pushing the horses fairly hard." Gaenír up-righted himself so he would not fall off his black horse. "We can move faster when we leave the forests." He explained while taking the lead as the path narrowed.
"I can't wait to get there." Caleniel stretched, she was stiff from riding for several hours straight. She hadn't been keeping up in her training, so she wasn't used to riding for such a long time.
"Neither can I." Gaenír spoke to himself, his mind running over his plan. The first part was done, Caleniel was going with him away from Mirkwood, and when the annoying Prince returned he would find her gone. Aearoniell should be with Legolas by now, so we should have no problems with him, Aearoniell will get her job done.
They rode the rest of the day, and through the early hours of the night. It was necessary that they get far enough away that they would be safe from anyone searching for Caleniel.
"Rodwen should know by now that I'm gone." Caleniel spoke absentmindedly while staring into the fire.
"You're not regretting you decision, are you?" Gaenír sat next to Caleniel and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.
"How could I regret doing something I want to do?" Caleniel looked up at his face from her position.
"You might have realized that you over reacted." Gaenír whispered. He needed to be sure that she wouldn't cause problems for him during their journey back to his castle. Once there she would find out the truth. She would know who was behind the orcs who had attacked her on her way to Mirkwood, if she could put the clues together. Moreover, when she did he would be there to convince her otherwise.
The orcs had been one of Aearoniell's ideas, but neither of them had thought it could turn out as perfectly as it did, that had been the Prince's fault. If he hadn't almost shot her than she would have probably fallen in love with him, which would have ruined his plans. Caleniel was the key to everything he had wanted; he had never truly loved her, but used her to get what he wanted, and what he wanted was power.
Caleniel continued to look up at Gaenír. Something in the way his eyes shown in the fire light made her want to pull away, but she reasoned with herself. Gaenír would never hurt her, would he?
It wasn't long before Caleniel fell asleep, fighting with herself about if Gaenír would hurt her or not, before deciding that she was safer with Gaenír than with Legolas.
"Good night Caleniel." Legolas kissed Aearoniell lightly on the cheek.
"Good night." She whispered softly, a slight blush rising to her cheeks while she kept her eyes downcast shyly. As soon as Legolas was out of sight her shy smile turned into a smirk. "Yes, good night my dearest prince." She quickly closed the door to her room and stood before the full-length mirror. Once again her voice took on an ethereal quality as she whispered the words to another spell.
"I hope you have wonderful dreams, my dearest prince." She whispered to herself, a cold breeze blowing out the lamp and leaving her in complete darkness.