Legolas' mind was at war with itself, his life had been shattered by the one person he thought could make it whole again. The hurt and rejection he felt when he had found her in bed with the Balrog Slayer transcended words. Was everything she had ever told him a lie? Was it her psychiatric abilities that had led him to believe any word she had ever spoken? How could he have ever been so stupid? Questions raced through the Prince's mind as he sat high up in the branches of a large oak tree.

When he had been younger, Thranduil had always told his son that he would know when he had met the elleth that was his true love. Though the King had left out the part about how terrible it is when you find out that maybe you were wrong. Was it love that he had felt? Was it the madness from love that had made him attack Remnul so viciously when he had harmed Melannen? Would Legolas ever know? Probably not.

He sighed and leaned back against a large branch, how could Illuvatar be so cruel yet so wonderful?

Melannen awoke to the pale rays of sunlight peeking through the windows. She rolled over to see Glorfindel sleeping soundly beside her. Was this love? She asked herself. It had to be, nothing else could be so wonderful. She thought nothing of the Prince she had so rashly abandoned, the one person that had always been there for her and had never wanted anything for himself. What she was oblivious to was that slowly she was leading Legolas farther back into shadow and doubt.

Melannen broke out of her reverie when Glorfindel awoke beside her. "Meleth nin." he whispered as he ran his fingers through her silken hair.

"Glorfindel." She breathed in his scent, as if making a memory.

"It is late, I must go, Lord Elrond will be looking for me." He got up and began to dress.

"No, the sun has just risen, it is early yet." She said.

He shook his head, "No, the Lord awakes early. I must go." He said buttoning his shirt.

Though suddenly, Melannen understood that this was a mistake. "You would put duty before love?"

He looked at her as if he had been slapped, Glorfindel sat beside her. He sighed deeply, "Melannen, you must understand."

Melannen felt rage build within her, "After everything we've shared, you still leave as if it were nothing?"

He caressed her face. "You are silly, Melannen. I could not leave you if my life depended on it!"

"Yet you leave now!"

"You must understand!"

"What is there to understand?" she nearly shouted.

"You are beginning to sound like Legolas!"

She made a sound of displeasure, "Good, at least one of us does."

"I have to go." Then Glorfindel left the room, leaving Melannen to cry by herself.

A couple hours had passed and Melannen, figuring that both she and Glorfindel had settled their differences, went to find him. She found him working, as usual, with Elrond and Erestor.

"Glorfindel!" Melannen ran up to him.

"Not now, Melannen, I'm busy!" his tone was sharp.

Melannen felt tears well up again in her eyes. "You're always busy!"

"So what if I am?" He shouted.

Melannen turned and fled, tears running down her cheeks. She had meant absolutely nothing to him, and now she knew it. The painful realization seemed too terrible to be true.

Melannen had wandered for a long while and now when she came back to her room she found a note by the door. She carefully opened it up. It read:

We're over.

She didn't need a signature to know who it was from. She collapsed on her bed, he shoulders shaking as she wept.

It was late at night and Legolas had finally given in to his exhaustion. He was passing by Melannen's room when his distinct hearing caught the sound of muffled crying. Legolas swore to himself, whatever that Balrog Slayer had done, he wouldn't forget it, not in a million years.

Legolas, having learned his lesson, knocked timidly. "Go away Glorfindel! I hate you!"

"It's me, Legolas." His voice was quiet and not near as assertive as Glorfindel's.

He heard her sniff, "Come in then."

The Prince quietly walked in and sat down beside Melannen on her bed. Her face was red and her blue eyes were puffy from crying. Before he could ask what was the matter, she handed him a small piece of paper, after reading it he knew what had taken place.

He gently pulled her into a hug and began to sing softly in Elvish the Lay of Luthien. She cuddled up next to the Elf and soon had fallen asleep to his melodic voice.