Back Again
By Siren
Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! I don't own 'A Stranger in Paradise' by Sarah Brightman. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lily continued to watch in envy as the males in the room stared at Reyna. Finally having had enough, Lily yanked Legolas's hand. His eyes snapped away from Reyna's form, to Lily's face. He saw her hurt and insecure expression, and regret flooded his heart. He hadn't meant to gape, but he couldn't help the attraction he felt towards the she-elf. She was beautiful, that was certain. And she carried an air of confidence about her that he felt drawn to. But one look at Lily's hurt face, and the attraction faded from his mind. He gave her hand a squeeze and offered a slight smile, hoping to appease her. Lily squeezed his hand, but did not return the smile.
Thranduil saw the obvious attraction in his son's eyes, and felt immensely pleased. If his son was already attracted to Reyna, that he should be able to love her as well, and forget all about the mortal. "Welcome lord Radian, lady Reyna. 'Tis good to see you," the king of Mirkwood said in a happy tone. Reyna smiled and nodded. " 'Tis good to see you as well, lord Thranduil. Mirkwood is very beautiful." Lily cringed at the voice. It was deep and velvety, holding a soothing tone to it. She could feel Legolas tense at the sound of it. His attraction to the elf was becoming obvious again, making her heart clench painfully.
Reyna's eyes fell on Legolas, and the dark-haired elf grinned seductively. "And this must be Legolas," she mused as her eyes swept over his body appreciatively. "He is as fair as you said, lord Thranduil." Lily's eyes narrowed in fury of Reyna's obvious flirtation. Taking notice of the mortal, the she-elf lifted an eyebrow. "Is this his servant?" Lily huffed and waited to Legolas to defend her. After a moment passed, Lily's heart plummeted. He had indeed forgotten that she existed. Haldir noticed this, and came to her rescue.
"No milady, this is lady Lily of another realm." Reyna's eyes widened, as did her smile. "Ah, the angel turned mortal. I have heard much about you, lady Lily. I did not know that you returned to Middle Earth. I am curious as to why you left in the first place, and why you suddenly returned." Lily glared at her, and shifted her weight. "Coming back was not my choice. And as for why I left, I do not believe it is any of your business." Reyna's lips pulled back into a wide smile. She seemed to enjoy getting a reaction out of the human. "You're quite right, forgive my curiosity. Lord Legolas, would you mind showing me around the palace?"
Lily looked up at Legolas pleadingly, not wanting him to accept. Once again, Haldir came to her rescue. "I shall show you around, milady. Lord Legolas has other matters to attend to at the moment. I am Haldir of Lothlorien." Reyna cocked an eyebrow, but nodded none the less. " 'Tis a pleasure to meet you, lord Haldir." She slipped her arm into his, and was led out of the hall. Once she was gone, Lily smacked Legolas's arm. He winced and snapped out of his trance. He winced and looked at her blankly. "What?" he asked, rubbing his sore arm.
"You completely forgot I existed! Reyna thought I was your servant and you didn't even say anything! You say your place is by my side, yet you forget whose side you're at!" she shouted angrily, and crossed her arms over her chest. Legolas frowned apologetically. "Forgive me Lily, I..." "I don't want to hear it. Nothing you say is going to change the fact that you forgot all about me, the second Reyna walked into this room. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see my son," she growled, emphasizing the word 'my'. With a huff, she turned and stormed off.
Legolas sighed at the sight of her retreating form. He knew that everything she said was true, and was sorry for it. The second he heard Reyna's deep voice, he had forgotten that Lily was by his side. He had felt Reyna's velvety voice wash over him, and he found himself unable to look away from her. Now he had upset Lily, and started to go after her when his father stopped him.
"Lady Reyna is quite beautiful, is she not? Mirkwood's people would love her."
Legolas turned around and glared at his father. "They'll love Lily as well, seeing as how she'll be their queen, not lady Reyna." Thranduil only smirked. "I saw the attraction in your eyes. You wanted her the moment you saw her. I'm sure that you'll fall in love with her eventually, and just like a few moments ago, Lily will be swept away from your mind and heart. You say you'd die without her, but you just proved that false. Accept it Legolas; you don't love Lily like you thought you did."
Legolas stared at his father, his face clean of emotion. Having nothing to say, he turned and walked away, leaving a pleased Thranduil behind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lily wandered the halls for an hour before realizing that she had forgotten where Eri had taken her son. Letting out another huff of frustration, she turned and walked out into the courtyard and into the stables. Soon she was close enough to smell the hay and the scent of the horses. A sense of comfort washed over her as she stepped inside. Being near horses always did give her a feeling of safety and security. Just like Legolas did. She frowned at the thought of him. He could apologize all he wanted, but it wouldn't change what had happened.
She passed by the various Elvin horses, most of them white or gray. A nicker from the left, caused her to turn around and look. Her face broke out into a huge grin when she saw who it was. "Gideon!" She squealed and ran over to the stall, yanking the gate open. She threw her arms around the horses' neck and hugged him tightly. "I can't believe it's you! How did you get here? Oh I missed you!" Gideon must have felt the same, because he pressed his chin to her lower back and pressed her to him. She pulled away a bit, and stroked his soft cheek. "I never thought I'd see you again."
"Legolas had him brought here after you left. He said Gideon reminded him of you."
Lily turned to see Thranduil behind her. Feeling resentment for him rise inside of her, she turned away and turned her attention back to the horse, stroking his soft nose and forehead. "It was very kind of him," she said, playing with Gideon's forelock. She heard him grunt in agreement. "Indeed." They stood together in silence for a few minutes before Thranduil spoke. "You know that Legolas is attracted to lady Reyna." He watched as her eyes darkened and she nodded curtly. "I do." The elf nodded. "And you know that he forgot about you." Lily rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance. "Your point?"
"My point being that if Legolas could forget about you for a mere moment, than he can forget about you for eternity. My son and lady Reyna would be a good match, and I'm sure that he would fall in love with her eventually. He can be happy with her, Lily. This is what we wanted for him, remember? With Reyna here, he would not die of grief if you left." Lily stiffened and turned around to face him. "I will not give up Legolas without a fight. I've changed my mind. I'm not leaving." Thranduil's eyes narrowed and he took a step towards her. "He will choose Reyna over you, Lily. Spare yourself the pain and leave before he does." Lily lifted her chin in defiance. "I've dealt with losing someone I loved before. Should he choose her over me, I'll deal with it. But I won't leave while I stand a chance." Gideon snorted in agreement.
Thranduil was now close enough so that she felt his breath on her face. "Than you are a fool," he hissed.
She watched as he quickly turned around and left. "You'll never measure up to an elf!" he called over his shoulder. Lily simply glared at him, as did Gideon.
Take my hand
I'm a stranger in paradise
All lost in a wonderland
A stranger in paradise
Lily spent the rest of the afternoon in the stables with Gideon. The elves that passed by didn't question her presence. They barely took notice of her. Once darkness fell, Lily stood up and said goodnight to the horse. Gideon nuzzled her neck in response, and neighed when she left. She walked back to the palace, and made her way to her room. Once inside, she saw a pair of light cotton pants and a light tunic on the bed. She smirked and picked them up. "Thank you Eri," she whispered. She took off the dress and slipped the comfortable clothes on.
"You look beautiful in those pants, melamin."
Lily gasped and turned around to see Legolas sitting in a chair near the door. She tried to slow her racing heart and glared at him. "What are you doing here? Doesn't Reyna need to be tucked in?" She watched as he stood up and walked over to her. "I admit that I felt a certain attraction to her, but you are the one who holds my heart. You always have and always will and nothing can change that. I love you Lily, you know that." Lily crossed her arms over her chest. "And what will you do when I'm not enough? What will you do when I age and become unattractive? What will you do when Reyna offers herself to you?"
Legolas stopped in front of her, his eyes piercing into her's. "You are all I could ever want, Lily. Appearance makes no difference to me." Lily shook her head. "It doesn't now, but what about forty years from now? You won't want me anymore, and you'll stay by my side out of obligation. I'll know that while you're with me, you'll be wishing that you were with her!" she shouted and threw her hands up in frustration. "You forgot I existed, Legolas. If you can forget that I exist, than you can forget that you love me. And if you can do that, than you never really loved me at all," she whispered.
If I stand starry-eyed
That's the danger in paradise
For mortals who stand beside an angel like you
Legolas felt his insides twist. "I do love you Lily. I love you more than anything, and I could never forget my love for you. Please believe me Lily." Lily looked up at him and was about to answer when there was a knock at the door. Legolas sighed and walked over to it. He opened it and was met by the grinning face of Reyna. She smiled warmly at him and held up a bottle of elvish wine. "Good evening, prince Legolas. I was wondering if you'd like to talk over a glass of wine?"
His eyes skimmed down her body, taking in the loose, revealing burgundy nightgown. He heard a sharp intake of breath behind him and snapped out of it. "I'm sorry, but I'm busy at the moment." Reyna looked past him and saw Lily, causing her smile to widen. "Of course. Good evening lady Lily." The mortal simply glared at her venomously. "Alright than. Have a good night, prince Legolas." She gave him another smile, turned and sauntered away.
I saw your face and I ascended
Out of the commonplace into the rare
Somewhere in space I hang suspended
Until I know there's a chance that you care
Legolas closed the door and turned around to meet a sight that broke his heart. Silent tears were streaming down Lily's face as she looked at him with sad, gray eyes. Her arms were wrapped around herself, and she suddenly appeared so small and fragile. He reached out to her, but she recoiled, sending another wave of regret through him. "Lily, I..." Lily shook her head, and held up a hand to silence him. "Your father was right," she whispered brokenly. "I'll never measure up to an elf." He looked at her helplessly, not knowing what to say, but furious that his father had told her that.
She sniffed and looked out the window, shuddering as a breeze drifted through the room. At the moment, all he wanted was to hold her in his arms and apologize. After a moment, Lily looked up at him sadly, and than at the door. "Please get out," she whispered. Legolas opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off. "Please," she begged. Sighing, he complied and left, closing the door behind him. Once the door clicked shut, Lily burst into tears. On the other side of the door, Legolas pressed a palm to it. He could hear her crying and felt his heart being torn apart. Sighing, he pressed his forehead to the wood and closed his eyes. "Forgive me Lily," he whispered.
Won't you answer this fervent prayer
Of a stranger in paradise
Don't send me into dark despair
From all that I hunger for
Reyna walked back to her chambers, a victorious grin on her face. She knew that the prince was attracted to her, and it only fed her ego. She knew she was beautiful, and she knew that the prince would soon be her's. As soon as the mortal was out of the picture, she would be queen of Mirkwood. The fairest elf would be her husband, and Lily wouldn't be in the way. As for Legolas's son, she supposed she could adopt him and raise him as her own. After all, he was half-elven and deserved an immortal mother. Yawning, she raised her arms and stretched. It would only be a matter of time.
Haldir walked up to Lily's door, and raised his hand to knock when he heard a slight sob. His brow furrowed, and he pressed his ear to the door. "Lily?" When he received no answer, he opened the door and stepped inside. He saw Lily curled up on the bed, her shoulders shaking as she cried. "Lily?" Her sobs quieted a bit when she looked over at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but a sob escaped it. He quickly rushed to her side and sat down next to her. He pulled her into his arms, and began to rock her slowly. "Hush, it's alright. Everything will be alright," he soothed. He rested his chin on her head as he whispered in elvish, silently cursing Reyna for causing his friend pain.
But open your angel's arms
To this stranger is paradise
And tell him that he need be
A stranger no more
2 Be Continued
By Siren
Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! I don't own 'A Stranger in Paradise' by Sarah Brightman. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lily continued to watch in envy as the males in the room stared at Reyna. Finally having had enough, Lily yanked Legolas's hand. His eyes snapped away from Reyna's form, to Lily's face. He saw her hurt and insecure expression, and regret flooded his heart. He hadn't meant to gape, but he couldn't help the attraction he felt towards the she-elf. She was beautiful, that was certain. And she carried an air of confidence about her that he felt drawn to. But one look at Lily's hurt face, and the attraction faded from his mind. He gave her hand a squeeze and offered a slight smile, hoping to appease her. Lily squeezed his hand, but did not return the smile.
Thranduil saw the obvious attraction in his son's eyes, and felt immensely pleased. If his son was already attracted to Reyna, that he should be able to love her as well, and forget all about the mortal. "Welcome lord Radian, lady Reyna. 'Tis good to see you," the king of Mirkwood said in a happy tone. Reyna smiled and nodded. " 'Tis good to see you as well, lord Thranduil. Mirkwood is very beautiful." Lily cringed at the voice. It was deep and velvety, holding a soothing tone to it. She could feel Legolas tense at the sound of it. His attraction to the elf was becoming obvious again, making her heart clench painfully.
Reyna's eyes fell on Legolas, and the dark-haired elf grinned seductively. "And this must be Legolas," she mused as her eyes swept over his body appreciatively. "He is as fair as you said, lord Thranduil." Lily's eyes narrowed in fury of Reyna's obvious flirtation. Taking notice of the mortal, the she-elf lifted an eyebrow. "Is this his servant?" Lily huffed and waited to Legolas to defend her. After a moment passed, Lily's heart plummeted. He had indeed forgotten that she existed. Haldir noticed this, and came to her rescue.
"No milady, this is lady Lily of another realm." Reyna's eyes widened, as did her smile. "Ah, the angel turned mortal. I have heard much about you, lady Lily. I did not know that you returned to Middle Earth. I am curious as to why you left in the first place, and why you suddenly returned." Lily glared at her, and shifted her weight. "Coming back was not my choice. And as for why I left, I do not believe it is any of your business." Reyna's lips pulled back into a wide smile. She seemed to enjoy getting a reaction out of the human. "You're quite right, forgive my curiosity. Lord Legolas, would you mind showing me around the palace?"
Lily looked up at Legolas pleadingly, not wanting him to accept. Once again, Haldir came to her rescue. "I shall show you around, milady. Lord Legolas has other matters to attend to at the moment. I am Haldir of Lothlorien." Reyna cocked an eyebrow, but nodded none the less. " 'Tis a pleasure to meet you, lord Haldir." She slipped her arm into his, and was led out of the hall. Once she was gone, Lily smacked Legolas's arm. He winced and snapped out of his trance. He winced and looked at her blankly. "What?" he asked, rubbing his sore arm.
"You completely forgot I existed! Reyna thought I was your servant and you didn't even say anything! You say your place is by my side, yet you forget whose side you're at!" she shouted angrily, and crossed her arms over her chest. Legolas frowned apologetically. "Forgive me Lily, I..." "I don't want to hear it. Nothing you say is going to change the fact that you forgot all about me, the second Reyna walked into this room. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see my son," she growled, emphasizing the word 'my'. With a huff, she turned and stormed off.
Legolas sighed at the sight of her retreating form. He knew that everything she said was true, and was sorry for it. The second he heard Reyna's deep voice, he had forgotten that Lily was by his side. He had felt Reyna's velvety voice wash over him, and he found himself unable to look away from her. Now he had upset Lily, and started to go after her when his father stopped him.
"Lady Reyna is quite beautiful, is she not? Mirkwood's people would love her."
Legolas turned around and glared at his father. "They'll love Lily as well, seeing as how she'll be their queen, not lady Reyna." Thranduil only smirked. "I saw the attraction in your eyes. You wanted her the moment you saw her. I'm sure that you'll fall in love with her eventually, and just like a few moments ago, Lily will be swept away from your mind and heart. You say you'd die without her, but you just proved that false. Accept it Legolas; you don't love Lily like you thought you did."
Legolas stared at his father, his face clean of emotion. Having nothing to say, he turned and walked away, leaving a pleased Thranduil behind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lily wandered the halls for an hour before realizing that she had forgotten where Eri had taken her son. Letting out another huff of frustration, she turned and walked out into the courtyard and into the stables. Soon she was close enough to smell the hay and the scent of the horses. A sense of comfort washed over her as she stepped inside. Being near horses always did give her a feeling of safety and security. Just like Legolas did. She frowned at the thought of him. He could apologize all he wanted, but it wouldn't change what had happened.
She passed by the various Elvin horses, most of them white or gray. A nicker from the left, caused her to turn around and look. Her face broke out into a huge grin when she saw who it was. "Gideon!" She squealed and ran over to the stall, yanking the gate open. She threw her arms around the horses' neck and hugged him tightly. "I can't believe it's you! How did you get here? Oh I missed you!" Gideon must have felt the same, because he pressed his chin to her lower back and pressed her to him. She pulled away a bit, and stroked his soft cheek. "I never thought I'd see you again."
"Legolas had him brought here after you left. He said Gideon reminded him of you."
Lily turned to see Thranduil behind her. Feeling resentment for him rise inside of her, she turned away and turned her attention back to the horse, stroking his soft nose and forehead. "It was very kind of him," she said, playing with Gideon's forelock. She heard him grunt in agreement. "Indeed." They stood together in silence for a few minutes before Thranduil spoke. "You know that Legolas is attracted to lady Reyna." He watched as her eyes darkened and she nodded curtly. "I do." The elf nodded. "And you know that he forgot about you." Lily rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance. "Your point?"
"My point being that if Legolas could forget about you for a mere moment, than he can forget about you for eternity. My son and lady Reyna would be a good match, and I'm sure that he would fall in love with her eventually. He can be happy with her, Lily. This is what we wanted for him, remember? With Reyna here, he would not die of grief if you left." Lily stiffened and turned around to face him. "I will not give up Legolas without a fight. I've changed my mind. I'm not leaving." Thranduil's eyes narrowed and he took a step towards her. "He will choose Reyna over you, Lily. Spare yourself the pain and leave before he does." Lily lifted her chin in defiance. "I've dealt with losing someone I loved before. Should he choose her over me, I'll deal with it. But I won't leave while I stand a chance." Gideon snorted in agreement.
Thranduil was now close enough so that she felt his breath on her face. "Than you are a fool," he hissed.
She watched as he quickly turned around and left. "You'll never measure up to an elf!" he called over his shoulder. Lily simply glared at him, as did Gideon.
Take my hand
I'm a stranger in paradise
All lost in a wonderland
A stranger in paradise
Lily spent the rest of the afternoon in the stables with Gideon. The elves that passed by didn't question her presence. They barely took notice of her. Once darkness fell, Lily stood up and said goodnight to the horse. Gideon nuzzled her neck in response, and neighed when she left. She walked back to the palace, and made her way to her room. Once inside, she saw a pair of light cotton pants and a light tunic on the bed. She smirked and picked them up. "Thank you Eri," she whispered. She took off the dress and slipped the comfortable clothes on.
"You look beautiful in those pants, melamin."
Lily gasped and turned around to see Legolas sitting in a chair near the door. She tried to slow her racing heart and glared at him. "What are you doing here? Doesn't Reyna need to be tucked in?" She watched as he stood up and walked over to her. "I admit that I felt a certain attraction to her, but you are the one who holds my heart. You always have and always will and nothing can change that. I love you Lily, you know that." Lily crossed her arms over her chest. "And what will you do when I'm not enough? What will you do when I age and become unattractive? What will you do when Reyna offers herself to you?"
Legolas stopped in front of her, his eyes piercing into her's. "You are all I could ever want, Lily. Appearance makes no difference to me." Lily shook her head. "It doesn't now, but what about forty years from now? You won't want me anymore, and you'll stay by my side out of obligation. I'll know that while you're with me, you'll be wishing that you were with her!" she shouted and threw her hands up in frustration. "You forgot I existed, Legolas. If you can forget that I exist, than you can forget that you love me. And if you can do that, than you never really loved me at all," she whispered.
If I stand starry-eyed
That's the danger in paradise
For mortals who stand beside an angel like you
Legolas felt his insides twist. "I do love you Lily. I love you more than anything, and I could never forget my love for you. Please believe me Lily." Lily looked up at him and was about to answer when there was a knock at the door. Legolas sighed and walked over to it. He opened it and was met by the grinning face of Reyna. She smiled warmly at him and held up a bottle of elvish wine. "Good evening, prince Legolas. I was wondering if you'd like to talk over a glass of wine?"
His eyes skimmed down her body, taking in the loose, revealing burgundy nightgown. He heard a sharp intake of breath behind him and snapped out of it. "I'm sorry, but I'm busy at the moment." Reyna looked past him and saw Lily, causing her smile to widen. "Of course. Good evening lady Lily." The mortal simply glared at her venomously. "Alright than. Have a good night, prince Legolas." She gave him another smile, turned and sauntered away.
I saw your face and I ascended
Out of the commonplace into the rare
Somewhere in space I hang suspended
Until I know there's a chance that you care
Legolas closed the door and turned around to meet a sight that broke his heart. Silent tears were streaming down Lily's face as she looked at him with sad, gray eyes. Her arms were wrapped around herself, and she suddenly appeared so small and fragile. He reached out to her, but she recoiled, sending another wave of regret through him. "Lily, I..." Lily shook her head, and held up a hand to silence him. "Your father was right," she whispered brokenly. "I'll never measure up to an elf." He looked at her helplessly, not knowing what to say, but furious that his father had told her that.
She sniffed and looked out the window, shuddering as a breeze drifted through the room. At the moment, all he wanted was to hold her in his arms and apologize. After a moment, Lily looked up at him sadly, and than at the door. "Please get out," she whispered. Legolas opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off. "Please," she begged. Sighing, he complied and left, closing the door behind him. Once the door clicked shut, Lily burst into tears. On the other side of the door, Legolas pressed a palm to it. He could hear her crying and felt his heart being torn apart. Sighing, he pressed his forehead to the wood and closed his eyes. "Forgive me Lily," he whispered.
Won't you answer this fervent prayer
Of a stranger in paradise
Don't send me into dark despair
From all that I hunger for
Reyna walked back to her chambers, a victorious grin on her face. She knew that the prince was attracted to her, and it only fed her ego. She knew she was beautiful, and she knew that the prince would soon be her's. As soon as the mortal was out of the picture, she would be queen of Mirkwood. The fairest elf would be her husband, and Lily wouldn't be in the way. As for Legolas's son, she supposed she could adopt him and raise him as her own. After all, he was half-elven and deserved an immortal mother. Yawning, she raised her arms and stretched. It would only be a matter of time.
Haldir walked up to Lily's door, and raised his hand to knock when he heard a slight sob. His brow furrowed, and he pressed his ear to the door. "Lily?" When he received no answer, he opened the door and stepped inside. He saw Lily curled up on the bed, her shoulders shaking as she cried. "Lily?" Her sobs quieted a bit when she looked over at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but a sob escaped it. He quickly rushed to her side and sat down next to her. He pulled her into his arms, and began to rock her slowly. "Hush, it's alright. Everything will be alright," he soothed. He rested his chin on her head as he whispered in elvish, silently cursing Reyna for causing his friend pain.
But open your angel's arms
To this stranger is paradise
And tell him that he need be
A stranger no more
2 Be Continued