Thank you to all who have sent their responses to this fiction. I really enjoy hearing from you. Here we go again:

Farewell for Now

The King had immediately made a public announcement of Legolas's innocence and the citizens of Annuminas were gossiping with the news and wondering how it could possibly be. Hadn't Mendir seen Legolas with his own eyes? But no one would question the King's decision openly and in the end they summed it up to the strange ways of the elves.

As for the Royal family and their friends and kin, the King explained what Gilraen had revealed to him. Though to many it seemed as if there was more to this story than they were being told, they were relieved that Legolas had not done this terrible thing. But with that relief came the guilt of how they had treated Legolas when they had thought him guilty.

"Where is Gilraen? I should like to question her further," Celeborn stated.

"She would not return with me," Eldarion answered. "She went after Legolas. She is still in her bed clothes," he laughed lightly.

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Gilraen, uncaring of the pebbles that poked into the bottom of her feet, ran swiftly after Legolas. He had went along the pathway which ran alongside the lake and as she searched for him she cared not for any who looked her way and saw that she was not dressed properly.

She came to the long wooden walkway which went over the lake to the gazebo, the place in which she had first kissed Legolas. There she saw that he had indeed retreated to the gazebo and was gazing out across the lake. She hurried up the walkway until she reached the entrance and there she stopped, breathing hard with her exertions.

Her heart was bursting with the pain she felt for all that he had gone through. "My Lord?" she said tentatively.

He turned to face her, a sad look upon his face. Yet he held his arms open. Gilraen ran the remaining steps into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck as he closed his eyes and pressed his cheek against hers.

"Forgive me, forgive me," she cried as she pressed kisses to his face. "It was the jewel," she said desperately.

Legolas lifted his hand and ran the tips of his fingers along her wet cheek as he gazed into her eyes. "I know this," he said. "I had tried to tell you, but the evil of the jewel had deafened you to my words."

"It is gone now! Radagast has taken it away. Never more shall I say such false words to you. Only will I speak of love for that is what I truly feel for you." Gilraen pressed her lips onto his and felt joy when he returned her kiss. She felt his arms tighten around her as the kiss continued and she poured the depth of her feelings for him into this kiss.

Then Legolas turned his head and removed his lips from hers yet still held her in a tight embrace. He closed his eyes as a tremble went through his body. He knew he loved her so very much and yet… he knew he could not stay. A lone tear fell from his eye as he held her.

Gilraen could feel the change in his body and she raised her head to gaze into his face. When she noticed his tear she said, "Tell me that you weep for joy. Tell me that you still love me." A dread was beginning to grow in her heart as she could sense that his next words would not be the ones she longed to hear.

"I will never stop loving you Gilraen," he said. Then he shut his eyes as he said, "I will love you even if I cannot be with you for now."

She grasped the top of his arms and said, "What do you say? We can be together!"

He released her and turned towards the lake again as he said, "I must leave Annuminas. I cannot stay."

"But my father believes your innocence. All will believe it for I will tell them all the truth!" she grabbed onto his arm as if she feared he would disappear suddenly.

He turned his sad eyes towards her as he said, "Never have I known what it was like to have so many that I care about look at me with hatred and scorn. My heart is heavy with the scars of their mistrust. I cannot stay Gilraen."

His heart broke as he watched her tears flow down her cheeks at his words.

"But all will be well again, my Lord," she pleaded, "you shall see. My father will have it no other way for he holds you in very high esteem."

He turned towards her and cupped her face in his two hands as he said, "I know you speak true, my love. But I need to journey alone until the memory of this morn has faded and my heart has healed."

"For how long? How long will I be without you?" she asked softly.

He glanced down and sighed as he said, "I know not." He looked over the lake once more. "I will not return to Annuminas. Perhaps when you have returned to the south, I shall come to you."

Gilraen's heart filled with heaviness and she said, "That is too long! We shall not be leaving until next spring. That is a year before we start our journey south!"

Legolas turned to her and gave her a small smile. "A year? I find a year is like a day as I grow older."

"A year is like one hundred years to me if it means I must spend it without you," she said. Gilraen felt desperate to find the right words, the ones that would make him stay. "My heart cannot find joy if you are not here."

He felt terrible saying these words to her. He knew he would have to be sterner if he ever hoped to leave here. "I'm sorry Gilraen. I must do this. I must!"

Gilraen backed away from him, trembling at his words. "Then you must not love me as I love you," she said and turned to run back down the walkway, tears distorting the images of the shore and the trees. She could not believe that all this was happening. He was leaving! She ran down the path as she cried and knew that she did not want to return to the tower. She did not want the others to question her right now. She ran into a copse of trees and wrapped her arms around a thin trunk, laying her forehead against the bark. She felt like her world was falling apart and her life had turned into a bad dream.

Legolas made to follow her as she had left before he could tell her that he did love her. But his feet slowed as he realized that if he went to her now, he would never be able to leave. And he could not stay. The pain of the faces of his friends looking at him in hatred was still too fresh in his mind. He did not want to hear their apologies. He was not ready for their forgiveness.

Now he strode to the stables, ignoring the looks of all he passed. He did not stop for anyone as he hurried by. Legolas readied his horse and leapt easily astride it. The stable boy had run off to the tower as soon as Legolas had entered the stable to tell the King that he was leaving.

Aragorn ran out of the tower and across the courtyard as Legolas's horse was cantering away. "Legolas!" he yelled.

Legolas heard the King and reluctantly slowed his horse. He took a deep breath as he turned around and closed the distance between him and Aragorn. When he had reached the King, he dismounted and stood before him.

"Legolas, do not go my friend. How am I to make amends to you if you leave now? I would give you anything to restore our friendship to what it was," Aragorn pleaded. "What would you have of me?"

Legolas looked off towards the trees where he knew Gilraen had taken refuge. "Some day I shall ask you for something dear to your heart," he said wistfully. Then he turned his gaze to Aragorn. "But not today. I cannot stay Aragorn, not in Annuminas. In time I shall return to Ithilien and then we shall begin anew."

Aragorn could feel the truth of Legolas's words. He understood how difficult this all had been for him. He nodded and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Till we meet again, my friend. May the Valar protect you."

Legolas turned and mounted his horse once more. Before he turned towards the road his eyes caught the sight of Gilraen in the distance. She stood there at the bottom of the path watching him. His heart pounded in his chest as he took one last look at her. Then he forced himself to look away with a cry of anguish as he galloped down the main street of Annuminas. Villagers stopped their daily chores to stare as the intense elf left through the front gates of the city and out of view.

As soon as Legolas had turned away from her Gilraen ran to the tower as fast as she could. She bumped into a guard on her way through the door but did not slow down to apologize as she hurried up the stairs. She passed her mother descending and did not stop when her mother said in surprise, "Gilraen?"

Up, up to the very top of the tower where a lone guard stood at his post. She looked over the distance towards the road leading out of Annuminas. She could not see Legolas through the heavy forest until he rode up a small hill. She concentrated all her thoughts on him and said:

Do not forget me.

She watched as Legolas stopped on the top of the hill and turned his horse around, gazing towards the tower.

Never.

She heard that one word from him and raised her hand in farewell. As he left she felt empty with grief. When she turned to go back in, her mother was standing there behind her. Arwen looked at her daughter in sympathy and took the few steps required to embrace her.

"Oh mother, how am I to live?" Gilraen moaned onto her Arwen's shoulder.

Arwen smiled and stroked the back of her head as she said, "There were many times that I could not be with your father. Many times that we had to endure being apart." She backed away and put her hands on Gilraen's shoulders as she looked into her daughter's face. "Let the love you feel become your companion, reminding you of the better days yet to come."

Gilraen could not feel the comfort of those words at the moment. She sighed sadly and said, "I am tired. I wish to rest." She retreated to her room as a very worried Fireal greeted her inside.

"My Lady! You are disheveled," she said as she fluttered around Gilraen and looked her over. "Would you like a hot bath perhaps?"

Gilraen stoically walked to her bed feeling completely drained of all emotion. So many feelings had gone through her body this day that she felt empty and used up. She dropped to the bed and said, "I just wish to sleep. Let me sleep Fireal."

Fireal bit her lip in worry, "Yes, my Lady." She quietly made her way to the door, giving her mistress one last concerned look.

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A week had past in which Gilraen had barely left her room. She took all her meals with Fireal in private and spent her days reading and napping. She did not want to talk to anyone. She knew they were all waiting with their questions, yet they respected her desire for solitude.

Then one sunny morning as Gilraen sat by her window reading she heard the clomping of horses hooves on the cobblestones below in the courtyard. She curiously peered out the window and saw Elfwine down below on his stallion. He was leading Gilraen's mare around the courtyard in a circle making as much noise as they could.

Elfwine had seen Gilraen's head from the corner of his eye and yet pretended he did not see her as he smiled to himself. Around and around the fountain they galloped until he finally let the mare come up to his side. He leaned over towards her and stroked her neck saying aloud, "It is sad that you have not had much attention lately. Some people do not know how wonderful a good ride can make them feel."

When he looked up at her window she was gone.

For two more days in a row Elfwine had taken the two horses for exercise on the courtyard. The second day he noticed Gilraen had appeared again and he pretended not to see her once more. This time he told her mare, "You are yearning for a rider, aren't you? I can tell you have felt very lonely."

Again when he looked up, Gilraen had retreated back into her room.

On the third morning Elfwine made even more noise as they clattered around the fountain. He kept glancing to see if Gilraen was watching but this time she was not coming to the window. Disappointment filled his heart as he decided to head back to the stables. When he turned the horses around, there stood Gilraen in his path dressed in a riding outfit. Her arms were crossed and she was looking very sternly at him. He halted the horses in surprise. "Gilraen!" he exclaimed.

"You are turning my horse against me," she said. "I cannot allow you to make her believe I am a bad mistress."

Elfwine slid off his horse, holding onto the saddle as he stood for support. His leg was still bothering him but he wanted to face her on the same level.

"I was only trying to entice you out of your room," he smiled at her. "You are missing these glorious sunny days."

He began to feel bad as she continued to glare at him. As his face fell in disappointment he noticed the slightest hint of a smile forming on her face. He watched as the smile grew and then a burst of laughter came next. She was not really angry! She had tricked him! Elfwine began to laugh at her clever ruse. "I suppose I deserved that," he said.

"Yes, you did," she said as she walked over to her mare and mounted. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's ride," Gilraen said as she galloped off down the western pathway.

Elfwine smiled, remounted and took off racing behind her.

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Hope you enjoyed this chapter. A little sad, I know, but as Arwen said in the movie, "There is always hope."

Please send me your thoughts. Thanks!