Thank you again to all my reviewers! I am really enjoying writing this fiction for you. In developing the character of Elfwine, I too have come to feel for him and so for all of you who feel the same sympathy for him I must say: do not despair. I do not plan on leaving Elfwine or Legolas in the lurch, so to speak, but how this will occur shall be revealed during the course of the story as I don't want to ruin the ending for you. And no, I don't believe women were allowed two husbands in Middle Earth. Too bad. LOL

Obsession

Gilraen was headed towards her rooms when a voice behind her made her pause.

"Gilraen?"

Gilraen turned to find her Grandfather, Celeborn, standing in the hall having just come from his own quarters. "Come and speak with me child."

Gilraen hesitated slightly, feeling a great need to return to her own room. But she could not in good conscious refuse her Grandfather's request so she walked over to where he stood and gave him a small smile. "Yes Grandfather?"

"Come inside," he said as he pushed his door open wider and waited for her to enter. They walked over to two chairs that had been placed by the window and sat down. Celeborn looked Gilraen over carefully. She seemed very tired and pale. And the way she fidgeted made her appear nervous and anxious.

"We have not spoken privately since you have been back," he said. "I know you have been dreaming unpleasant things. Why have you not come to me? Will you not share your experiences with me?"

Gilraen cast down her eyes so that Celeborn would not try to read her thoughts. "There are things I wish not to think about, that I wish to forget."

"I know of the village Gilraen. We passed by on our way to the wizard's village," Celeborn told her.

Gilraen glanced at him quickly. "What do you know?"

"Only what I have seen with my eyes: slaughter. It was as your vision, the vision you had in Lorien," he said as he watched her carefully. There seemed to be more that happened, he could see Gilraen was acting most strange at the mention of the village.

"There was more Grandfather," she said and then wondered at the feeling of dread filling her. "At the village there was … there was…" Gilraen put her hand over her mouth as the words seemed to be stuck within her and would not come out.

Celeborn's face grew concerned as he wondered at her hesitation. "Just show me Gilraen," he said as he put his hand under her chin to raise her gaze to his.

Panic struck at her heart and she sprang to her feet. "No! Not yet!" she exclaimed as she turned away from him and walked to the window. Celeborn rose from his chair and now stood behind her, looking at the back of her head in great concern.

He raised a hand to stroke her hair. "Beloved child, why will you not let me take this burden from you?" He watched her profile as tears rolled down over her cheek.

She swung her watery gaze to his face, "Take it from me? What would you take from me? What do you speak of?" she said in suspicion.

Celeborn looked at her in surprise. She had become defensive very suddenly and this was so unlike her. "I speak of your memories, but I thought that you had already known this."

Gilraen closed her eyes and silently scolded herself for speaking in such a manner to Celeborn. She had been intending to reveal all to him but now that the moment had arrived, she found that she could not do this. "Forgive me Grandfather. I am just tired. Perhaps after I rest we can speak of it." She turned and walked to the door, leaving her Grandfather to wonder at her strange behavior.

Gilraen closed the door to her Grandfather's room and now stood in the hall with her hand on her forehead. There seemed to be a strange buzzing in her mind and she rubbed her temples as she closed her eyes trying to rid herself of the noise.

When she entered her own room, Fireal was there laying out a gown for the evening meal. She looked at Gilraen's harried expression and asked, "Are you feeling well, my Lady?"

Gilraen looked at her maid. "Please leave me be Fireal. I would like to rest before the evening." She felt irritated that there were always people around when she wanted to be alone. Why could they not leave her alone?

Fireal was not use to being dismissed in such a rude way. She gave Gilraen a hurt glance as she left the room.

When the door closed, Gilraen walked over to it and slid the bolt to lock everyone out. Then she turned towards her chest and opened the lid. Pulling the Silmaril out, her eyes widened at the light and she felt drawn into its shimmering warmth. She placed it on her bed and lay down next to it, unable to close her eyes and release herself from its magic. The buzzing in her head seemed to stop whenever she gazed upon the light of Valinor.

For hours she had lain in this way until a loud pounding on her door finally drew her back to her senses. She felt dazed and confused as she blinked her eyes and sat up looking around.

"Gilraen!" came her brother's voice from behind the locked door. "If you do not open this door I will break it down! Get up you slug-a-bed."

Gilraen grabbed the Silmaril and slid off her bed. Once she had the stone safely in her chest again, she unlocked the door and looked into the amused face of Eldarion. "I was beginning to worry that you fell ill," he said.

"What do you mean?" she said in confusion as she tried to bring her senses back to normal. The buzzing was beginning in her head once more.

"Fireal has been trying to knock and wake you, but you did not answer. Dinner has come and gone. Everyone was wondering where you were and since I'm the only one who would consider yelling at you, they've sent me," he smiled. "Now that I see you I am wondering if you are ill," he added with concern.

"I appear ill?" she said as she tried to smooth out her hair with her hand. She did not want Legolas to see her so unkempt.

"Your color is off," he said as he studied her appearance. "I'll have Fireal bring you a tray. Promise you won't lock the door again after I leave."

"I promise," she told him, happy that he was finally leaving her in peace.

She walked over to her mirror and studied her appearance. She pinched her cheeks to give them more color and ran her brush through her hair. Perhaps she was falling ill, she thought. That would explain the buzzing in her head.

Gilraen?

Gilraen felt excitement when she heard Legolas's voice in her mind. She turned towards the window and looked below. There he stood next to the fountain in the courtyard, gazing up at her window. She smiled down to him, love shining in her eyes.

I missed you at evening meal. Are you well?

Legolas had thought that perhaps she had been nervous about seeing him again after the kiss they had shared that morning. He began to feel that his words may have come too soon and that he had frightened her away somehow. But as he now saw the loving expression on her face, he knew that his worries were unnecessary.

I have merely overslept.

He looked up at her beautiful face and longed to touch her again.

Will you meet me in the garden?

Gilraen's heart was beating with excitement at the thought of kissing Legolas again. The feelings she had felt this morning came rushing back into her body and mind, filling her with an urgency to hold her lover again.

She nodded at him and turned from the window, grabbing her cloak from its peg. She could not wait for Fireal to come and prepare her for that would take too long. She could not sit and have a meal, for that would waste precious time, time that could be spent in Legolas's arms.

She slipped from her room, careful to avoid everyone she could and left the tower through a side entrance. Around the edge of the tower she ran, her cloak billowing behind her. When she reached the garden she slowed to a halt and gazed around. When her vision caught sight of Legolas standing at a far end waiting for her she began to run again.

Into his opened arms she flew, wrapping her own arms around him and hugging his chest with her head. She immediately felt his small kisses being placed all over her forehead and she raised her face upwards. His mouth trailed down her cheek and found her waiting lips.

It seemed as though much time had passed as they stood kissing, pausing to gaze into each others eyes and then resume kissing again. It was during one of these pauses that Legolas noticed a change in Gilraen's expression. Her eyes seemed to shadow with pain for just a moment and then return to normal.

"Tell me true, Gilraen. Are you ill?" he said in concern.

"I have just been very tired. Dreams have disturbed my sleep of late," she explained.

He nodded his head, "Yes, I have known this. Is there nothing you can do to help ease your mind? Lord Celeborn may be able to help you," Legolas said softly to her as he stroked her hair, his forehead against hers.

"I… do not know…," Gilraen hesitated. She did not want to discuss this matter. The buzzing was growing louder in her mind as she felt Legolas grow more concerned for her.

Legolas pulled his head slightly away to study her expression. Something was definitely bothering her. Then another thought entered his mind. "Have you told him of the jewel yet?"

Her eyes flew up to meet his. "Why do you speak of it? I have told you not to speak of it."

Legolas frowned at her tone of voice. "I speak of it only to you, not to others," he reassured her.

Gilraen turned her head in both directions. "We cannot be sure that no one is listening."

"Do you not think it is time to tell someone of it? Surely Lord Celeborn and your parents should know," he said with more concern filling his heart. "You do not plan on keeping it, do you?"

She looked shocked. "No! Of course not! It is just not the right time," she stated.

"Gilraen, perhaps keeping this secret is the cause of your sleepless nights. Where have you put this jewel?" he wondered.

A dark expression filled with mistrust spread over her face as she pushed away from his embrace. "Why would you want to know where it is?" she said in suspicion.

Legolas stood there in surprise, watching her behave in a manner he had never witnessed before. This did not seem to be the Gilraen that he knew and loved. He shook his head, "You misunderstand me. I do not care where it is; only that it may be harming you in some way."

The buzzing in her mind grew more, as if it were trying to tell her something urgent. Terrible thoughts came to her, thoughts of deception. She back away from him, shaking her head in disbelief. "Now I understand," she said with an incredulous expression dawning on her face.

Legolas took a step towards her, "Gilraen?"

"All of this sudden interest in me, it has been a lie! You wish only to get the jewel from me!" she accused with widening eyes.

Legolas was stunned. How could she say something like this? "Gilraen? What has possessed you to say such a thing? Does your heart truly feel that I have been insincere?"

The fire of accusation did not die in her face. "All my life I have loved you and never have you expressed an interest in me. That is until you have laid eyes upon the jewel."

Now Legolas shook his head. "No Gilraen. You were too young before. And though I had loved you as I would a sister, it was not until now that I would love you as a wife. It was the night of the ball that I realized that I felt deeply for you, before you had come to possess this jewel." Legolas was hurt that she would think these things of him. Never had he yearned for treasures and jewels. Those things were not important to him.

Legolas stepped closer to her again, his arms outstretched to embrace her. "Gilraen, please let me…"

But Gilraen did not let him finish his words. She backed away further. "No! You shall not get the jewel from me. I will not let you use me like this." She turned and fled through the garden.

"Gilraen!" he called after her. He pursued her until he reached the guards at the tower entrance. They had saw Gilraen rush past them in a hurry and now that they saw Legolas in pursuit they grew cautious. One guard stepped in front of him before Legolas could enter the tower after Gilraen.

"Is everything all right my Lord?" the guard asked.

Legolas peered around the massive man and saw Gilraen disappear up the tower stairs inside. Then he looked into the face of the guard and calmed himself. He gave the guard a curt nod and walked off in the opposite direction, needing to be alone and think about what had just happened.

Gilraen had fled up the stairs and into the hall before she realized that she had taken the wrong stairs and she was not in the family wing of the tower. Tears of frustration and disappointment began to fall as she turned to leave this hall.

"Gilraen?" a male voice called out. She turned her head towards a room which had its door ajar. Elfwine! She placed her hands on the wall next to his door wondering what to do. She felt so torn up inside her heart. She had thought that Legolas had loved her and now the buzzing in her head was telling her that he had deceived her! How could she have been such a fool! She should have known it was too good to be true!

"Gilraen? Is that you?" Elfwine called out. He had thought he had seen her figure pass by his door. It was still painful to walk on his leg, so he had not been able to go and see for himself.

Gilraen turned her head towards his room. Elfwine loves her, this she knew. This she had known for many years. Slowly she walked over to his door and pushed it open all the way to reveal herself to him.

Elfwine looked at her tear worn face and her heart broken expression and he felt his own heart breaking.

"Sweet Gilraen, what has happened to sadden you so?"

Gilraen suddenly ran to his side and wrapped her arms about his neck as she sat on the edge of his bed, weeping onto his shoulder. Elfwine wrapped his arms about her and one hand reached up to stroke the length of her long hair.

"Dear love what is the matter?" he whispered into her ear as he tried to sooth her.

"Just hold me Elfwine," she said with her face turned onto his shoulder and her heart breaking as never before.

Pretty, pretty please: review this chapter. Thank you! And Happy Easter everyone.