Hi everyone, sorry for the long wait! It's been a busy summer so far. Here's the next part of the story. Hope you enjoy!

Love's Sweet Song

Gilraen slowly opened her eyes and watched the soft light of the morning play through the leaves of the tree canopy above. She stretched her arms above her head and looked to the side as a small bird came twittering down on the edge of her bed. She smiled at it and said, "What's this? Others are approaching?" Then Gilraen heard the soft song of greeting as many Lorien elves began to sing to the newcomers approaching. She sat up in bed and glanced at the bird again. "I believe they are greeting other elves," Gilraen told her feathered friend as she listened to the words of the song.

Fireal strolled into the room. "My Lady, the elves from East Lorien are arriving. They will wish to greet you. Shall I help you dress?"

"Yes Fireal, please," Gilraen said as she stood and walked to her basin to wash.

As Fireal helped Gilraen into her gown, Gilraen noticed an unusual grin on her maid's face and she asked, "You are happy?" Fireal bit her lip and nodded, blushing slightly.

"Come Fireal; do not hold me in suspense. Why do you smile so?" Gilraen asked, smiling in return at her maid's excitement.

"You shall know soon," Fireal would only say, giving Gilraen covert glances as she groomed her.

"Do you have a lover from East Lorien?" Gilraen tried to guess. "Is he arriving with the others?" Fireal only shook her head and kept her silence. She would not look Gilraen in the eyes, knowing that the Lady of Lorien could easily read her mind if she did.

When she stepped out of her room, Lindore was waiting for her. He gave her a slow bow and greeted her with his usual morning greeting which Gilraen was becoming accustomed to.

She inclined her head to her steward and asked, "They await?"

"Yes my Lady," Lindore answered. "They gather now below. It is customary for you to greet them and dine with them this morn."

Gilraen nodded, "Very well. Are the tables laid?"

"All is being readied as we speak," Lindore assured her.

Gilraen took a deep breath as she walked past the steward towards the sweeping staircase that led to her reception room. Fireal followed a discrete distance behind her. Other servants of her household bowed to her as she passed. She wanted to make a good impression to the newcomers as they were the first party of elves to arrive. She had been informed that many groups of elves would arrive in Lorien during the next few months to pay their respects.

Gilraen felt extremely young compared to the elves around her whom were hundreds, and some thousands, of years older than her. It daunted her that a girl of sixteen years could be accepted so readily as Lady of Lorien. She wondered if they looked at her as a child who would not be able to handle the responsibilities given to her by Celeborn. Even though no one had made her feel incapable or too young, she still made sure she walked and stood tall, with a regal air that would lend some sense of authority to herself. She made sure she didn't giggle or make over emotional displays in front of others.

Now she stood at the top of the staircase and gazed down at the waiting group of elves. They were all so beautiful and dressed in their finest garments and adorned with their finest jewels for their first meeting with the new Lady. Her personal guard stood stiffly in attention on both sides of the stairs when Gilraen appeared above. The East Lorien elves ceased speaking to one another and turned their faces up to her, taking in her beauty. Her noble lineage was immediately apparent in every feature of her face, the beauty of Arwen Undomiel and the poise of Lady Galadriel. Yet it was her eyes which intrigued them the most as they seemed to hold all the wisdom of their ancestors. They knew at once that the legacy of Lord Celeborn was wisely bestowed.

The group collectively gave Gilraen a deep bow as she took her first step down the staircase. When she was halfway down, she paused and waited for them to rise. She took a deep, slow breath that wouldn't be noticed, her nerves pulsing in anticipation beneath her calm exterior. Oh how she wished there was someone next to her, someone to share the attention of the crowd. But there was no one. Not even Fireal would descend and stand with her as it would not be proper in this circumstance.

As the East Lorien elves rose slowly from their bows, their eyes drank in her beauty as they waited for her to speak. Gilraen felt even more unnerved when she sensed more than just curiosity or admiration coming from them. Her special abilities allowed her to also feel the interest of the males gazing at her. This unnerved her further and she had to make an extra effort to appear unaffected. She should have known that her unattached status would make her even more interesting to some.

She swallowed her nerves and said, "I greet you, elves of East Lorien, and welcome you to my home and table."

Haldir took one step forward and bowed again. Then he said, "My Lady, I am Haldir, your Steward of East Lorien. We greet you, Lady of Lorien, heir to the legacy of Celeborn , and pledge our loyalty to Lorien."

Gilraen inclined her head and said, "I accept your greetings and your loyalty with a grateful heart. The faith of Celeborn in his loyal stewards shall be continued through me."

Haldir stepped aside and another elf stepped forward and introduced himself formally in the same manner. Each elf of East Lorien took their turn at an introduction and Gilraen graciously greeted them all. When no one else stepped forward, Gilraen assumed all had been greeted until her eyes fell upon an elf in a cloak standing behind the party of East Lorien elves. His forest green hood was pulled forward and his face was in shadow. It struck her that this seemed a very rude way to come into her presence and she wondered who would be so bold as to do such a thing.

When her gaze lingered on him in question, the other elves moved out of the way and gazed back on him as well. Gilraen looked at Haldir, wondering if he would order this rude elf to remove his hood and step forward. Haldir, however, only gave Gilraen a small grin and she was perplexed as to what she should do. Well, this was her house now, she thought, she had a right to know who was in it!

She looked at the mysterious elf and said, "Will you not reveal yourself to me? I would know all who stand before me."

The cloaked elf walked slowly to the foot of the stairs. "Do you not already know me?" he said to her.

Gilraen's heart fluttered in her breast and a tremble of excitement passed through her body at the sound of the voice that met her ears. Suddenly it seemed as though all the others watching them faded away and the only one here was the cloaked elf before her. "It has seemed a hundred years since I have last heard that voice," she said softly. She walked down the steps until she was directly in front of him. Reaching up, she took his hood and lowered it off of his head, her eyes sparkling with tears when she looked upon her beloved's smiling face.

"It has only been a year," he responded, love lighting his eyes and making her heart leap in joy.

In that moment Gilraen forgot about her poise and regal airs, she forgot about anyone watching her and expecting her to behave as the wise Lady of Lorien. An excited smile filled her face and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him with all the happiness in her heart. When she pulled back slightly Legolas lowered his mouth onto hers and kissed her passionately, claiming her in front of all who watched.

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After the formal morning meal was done, Gilraen took Legolas by the hand and led him down a path which she had recently discovered. It led to a pretty glade of mossy trees and a sparkling brook. She didn't care if she had duties to attend to. They could all wait. Legolas was with her and that was all that mattered. When they reached the secluded spot she turned to him and took both his hands in hers. Their eyes met in a flurry of images which they shared with one another, images of everything that had transpired in the year apart.

Legolas saw Gilraen's nightly vigils of longing for him and the love that had never faded. Gilraen saw his pain at leaving her and his dreams for them and their future together. They stood for a long while sharing these silent images and thoughts with one another, tears forming at times when a touching image of longing and love was perceived. Gilraen would lift her hand and stroke his cheek softly when he shared all his longings for her, his heart completely open.

They basked in the warmth of their shared love. When they had projected all they could into each other's minds and hearts, Legolas broke eye contact by lowering his eyes to her lips. His hands slowly traveled up the length of her arms, sending shivers through her body at his feather soft caress. When he reached her shoulders he gently pulled her towards him while his lips descended on hers. Gilraen's arms automatically wrapped around his back and pressed him further against her own body, needing to feel that he was really with her again.

The birds sang and chirped around them as they kissed sweetly, inhaling each others special scent and caressing each others hair. Neither of them wanted the kiss to end and so continue it did, deepening and growing ever more intimate. Legolas groaned as the sweet kissing turned into something far more needy and he pulled Gilraen more firmly against his body, his hands beginning to move more frantically over her back. Her body was now pressed fully onto his and she felt the heat pooling in her most sensitive regions and her breath began to quicken as her heart pounded in her breast.

Never had she felt anything so consuming as she was feeling at this moment, as if all time had stood still and there was nothing but pure sensation.

Legolas was lost in the feel of her, the taste of her. It felt so right and so beautiful to share this moment. His lips left her mouth and traveled slowly down her neck as he listened to her excited breaths and felt her hand reaching behind his head, encouraging him to continue. His tongue and lips tasted her honeyed skin as they moved down the graceful length of her neck to her shoulder. The fabric of her dress became an obstacle to his exploration of her perfection and he slightly tugged on her sleeve, lowering it just off the top of her shoulder so that it could not interfere with his pleasure.

Gilraen closed her eyes and threw her head back as Legolas kissed her shoulder. She gasped and urged his head with her hand, not knowing exactly what she was doing, only that she wanted it with every fiber of her being.

Suddenly he backed away a step and raised his head up, breathing as hard as she was and looking at her with a combination of longing and hesitation. "Gilraen," he rasped out with a heavy voice. Gilraen looked at him, feeling bereft that he had stopped his pleasurable kisses. She had no idea of the conflict tearing inside of him. She had never been in such an intimate position before and could not comprehend his battle between what he wanted and what was the right thing to do. Her kiss swollen lips and her soft, exposed shoulder made him desperately want to forget who he was and who she was. But he couldn't.

"We… can't," he managed to say, trying return his libido back to normal. His shook his head. "I mean, it's not right."

Gilraen looked at him, confused as to what he meant. "It is not right?" she said. "I love you Legolas. Do you not love me?" She was beginning to worry that perhaps he was having second thoughts about her.

He was amazed at her words. "I love you more with every beat of my heart, but I will not hasten you."

"Hasten me? I do not understand," she shook her head.

He looked at her carefully, trying to find the right words. "You are young Gilraen. You have not…" he hesitated. How does one speak to a maiden about these matters?

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"You have not… known anyone before," he said carefully.

"Known?"

"You are untouched," he tried to clarify, feeling more and more uncomfortable about speaking of these things.

Gilraen opened her eyes in understanding and blushed. She looked sideways and said, "Oh, I see." Then she looked back into his eyes and said, "But we were only kissing. Surely that is allowed before marriage."

"Gilraen, sometimes kisses… lead to more," he said uncomfortably. "When we are kissing like we were, I feel … well… as if I want more. It becomes difficult to stop."

Gilraen blushed and turned away; she walked a few paces and then faced him again. "Do you want to know a secret?" She smiled shyly at him and continued, "I have heard that my mother and father were lovers before they were married. They knew that they were going to be together, so all the formalities didn't matter."

Legolas lifted one eyebrow and said, "Your mother was over three thousand years old when she met your father. You, my love, are only sixteen."

"Almost seventeen," she reminded, "and wise beyond my years, or so I am told."

Legolas closed the distance between them and put his arms around her waist. "Be that as it may, I will not rush with you Gilraen. I intend to do things right with us. It is the custom of your father's people to obtain approval for our betrothal. And as the son of a king, I must also present you to my family, though I am a second son and you have your own realm it would be but a courtesy. My father makes his way now to Lorien, so he shall soon meet my lady love." He smiled and kissed her on the nose.

Gilraen grew concerned and asked, "Do you think your father will like me?"

Legolas squeezed her tighter and said, "I believe he'll adore you as all do that look upon you. You know, I was most aware of the interest the elves had in you this morning. I think the only way to prevent you from having a hundred suitors would be to marry you as soon as possible."

"Well then you best not leave me alone again for so long," she teased.

"Never again," he said in all seriousness, pulling her in for a kiss. Gilraen felt so happy at his words. He was actually here, discussing marriage with her! Never did she expect this day to turn out so wonderful when she opened her eyes this morning.

When they broke the kiss she said, "After I meet your family, should we travel to Minas Tirith?"

Legolas smiled at her anxiousness and to tell the truth, he was feeling just as urgent. Holding her in his arms, sharing passionate kisses, made him all the more determined not to wait too long. He had finally found the one he had longed for in his dreams, the one who made him feel so completely alive and in love. But he had to remember that she was now the Lady of Lorien and with that title came much responsibility.

"You will have many visitors for awhile," he said. "You must be here to greet those wishing to meet you. When that is done, we shall make our way to Minas Tirith. Then we can make our betrothal known to all."

Gilraen looked to be in deep thought at his words and Legolas asked, "What are you thinking?"

"Does that mean we must wait all that time before we can share the kind of kisses we have just shared?" Gilraen asked in all seriousness. She really didn't want him to hold his attentions back from her. It had felt too wonderful.

Her obvious enjoyment as his previous lack of control unnerved him. If there were nothing else to consider, he would love nothing more than to show her exactly how much he wanted her. Her innocent questions pushed at his already straining control. "We can kiss Gilraen. We should just be careful," he said, trying to hide any indication that he deeply wanted to make Gilraen his now.

She raised her arms and put them around his neck saying, "What if I don't want to be careful?"

Legolas felt her words jolt through him and his eyes darkened with lust. His arms trembled as he held on to her tighter and said with a barely contained growl, "Stop Gilraen. You do not realize the affect your words are having on me."

"Show me," she whispered against his lips and then was shocked at the frantic way he captured her mouth in a searing kiss. She tangled her fingers in his hair as he lifted her off her feet, bringing her fully against his body.

Then the sound of someone coming into the clearing brought them to their senses as they heard, "My Lady?"

Legolas quickly let Gilraen go and turned his body away from the intruder to compose himself. Gilraen blushed and fussed at her hair as she turned to face Fireal, who was shyly smiling at what she had just witnessed.

"Yes Fireal?" Gilraen said.

"More visitors are arriving," Fireal announced.

"Very well," said Gilraen. She glanced at Legolas who was looking very disturbed by his lack of control. He glanced at her in a way that felt like a reprimand for making him cross the boundaries he had tried to set.

Gilraen only grinned and said, "We shall continue our visit later." She walked away, feeling his incredulous stare on her back. She had no intention of giving up their very pleasurable embraces.

Legolas, however, could not believe that he had almost lost control a second time. He smacked his forehead and paced around. "How I am ever going to resist her?" he spoke to himself. "I told her I would not leave again. Now I must stay and try to control myself!" He knew he would be fighting a losing battle if she kept up her teasing ways. There was only so much he could take!

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Hope you enjoyed that chapter. It was fun to write!

Please review and tell me thoughts. Thanks!