Yes, Lunian is half elf… but I don't know what exactly governs whether or not she gets to choose life as either an elf or a human, so I'm making it a writer's prerogative to just leave it at this: She is mortal, and she will one day die.
With that said, Legolas's votes are getting interesting: 6/6 in favor of each. I think maybe I wasn't quite specific enough… I was asking if he should live or die after Lunian dies.
I don't really know all the biology to elves, so I don't know if Legolas would have any control over whether or not Lunian becomes pregnant, so I'm going to assume that after being around for ages on end, they know herbs or something that would keep pregnancy from occurring, and we can all just assume that Lunian's taking those… Though, Lady Jade, I must admit I like the idea, and I used it in a story that will likely never get posted, because I can't seem to keep it going.
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"It is strange company you keep, my prince," Lunian laughed.
Gimli chuckled at Legolas's stunned blink.
"One might almost think you no longer wished to be an elf," she continued, closing much of the distance between them. She had been introduced, briefly, to Gimli the night before at dinner, but he had not been told of her connection—her reason for being among elves rather than humans—beyond having been a ward of Elrond and a sister figure to Aragorn when he was in Imladris.
Legolas watched her approach, saw with joy lightening his heart that she was happier than she had been in a while, her eyes laughing as she smiled brightly. "Would it please you if I were?"
She shuddered. "What a horrid thought!" She frowned severely. "You would have had a much harder time with me if you were, considering all humans I have ever been around, save Estel, have been no good." Or heard of, really, considering her blood father.
He winced, the years having been enough his rage at seeing her so battered was dulled so that he was more concerned for her feelings than his own.
She shook her head and gazed at Gimli. "I must say, you are the first dwarf I have ever known."
"Even dwarves have been known to visit Imladris," Gimli countered, thinking of his father's roll in the adventure that ended with dwarves in possession of a mountain, a watery bed gained by a fiery dragon, and a small hobbit with the ring that could have destroyed Middle-Earth.
"Only at the council, in my lifetime," she countered softly, still gazing at the dwarf.
Since her study was more curious than disgusted, as he had sometimes gotten from elves, he didn't mind. Much. "Why did you not see any then?"
She smiled, a little sadly. "I was nearly dead," she replied softly.
Dwarf and elf stared at her in surprise, Legolas's back straightening as if a rod had been shoved through it. "What?" boomed Gimli as Legolas fought rushing to her side. He had wanted to explain things to Gimli before giving it so simply away, but it was getting harder by the second, especially when she began fiddling with her worry stone.
"Elrohir told me how he lost the she-elf he loved. She had been raped, beaten and left for dead by a human, but was found and healed. She died giving birth to a mortal child." Lunian clenched her hand, recalling the hollow pain in Elrohir's eyes as he dully recounted her beginnings.
"Your heart broke for him, for the pain you inadvertently caused," Legolas murmured, his eyes full of compassion as he studied her. "Why did you not?"
"I couldn't do that to him. I was all he had of her, the only thing tying him to Middle-Earth. Along with being half human, my worry for Estel on the quest, and so for Arwen, brought me back."
Gimli frowned and looked between the two, aware he was missing something, but unsure at what level he was missing it. "You're only half-human?" he asked, settling for the easiest.
"Half human, half elven," she agreed with a soft sigh. She turned her head to the approaching elf a moment after Legolas had, but Gimli never heard the footsteps. Being used to Legolas, though, he was not surprised when an elf emerged from between the plants bearing a message.
Legolas read it and nodded. "Inform him I am on my way." The elf bowed and left, leaving Legolas only a quick moment to excuse himself. "I am sorry, my friend, but my father summons. Perhaps…" he trailed off, looking to Lunian.
She laughed. "Of course. It will be quite enjoyable on both sides, I believe."
Legolas nodded quickly, his mind already switching over to wonder what business could have his father calling him so soon after a guest—especially a member of the fellowship, even if a dwarf—had arrived. "Thank you," he murmured, falling into his own tongue as he caught her chin for a quick kiss before leaving them behind.
Gimli blinked after him, making Lunian chuckle. Humans being what they were, she had thought that merely an elven trait. Of course, since he and Legolas had become such friends, it could have rubbed off on the dwarf. "I suppose he was being polite?"
She laughed aloud. "I can think of many words to describe Legolas, but polite would not be among the ones he would gather from friends." Of course, when he was the prince of Mirkwood, he was infinitely polite, but when relaxed… well relaxed alone was enough to not title someone at the same time polite. Kind, generous—certainly, but not polite. Politeness required responsibility to act in a matter unneeded in informal settings.
"Really?" he asked, interest inherent in the word.
She sighed softly. "Aye, Master Dwarf. Really." She smiled slightly. "Come, I will show you the gardens, such as they are."
Gimli was not about to give up so easily, but he walked with her, finding her easier to keep up with than Legolas. Then he noticed she had matched her steps to his, lifting her in his esteem. Of course, that Aragorn and Legolas considered her a friend had been enough for him to feel somewhat at ease, and he was beginning to get the idea that while Aragorn may see her as a sister, Legolas certainly did not.
"Just say whatever you are so consumed with, Gimli," she murmured suddenly, her voice somewhat detached.
He looked up to see her studying the leaves above them, watched her pluck a russet leaf from a bough hanging just low enough. She twirled it through her fingers as she looked at him, one brow lifted in waiting. He cleared his throat. "Well, it just seems to me Legolas is rather close to you."
She smiled slightly, but there was a sad air about her at the same time that made him think her almost fragile. Certainly she was, compared to the elves, but she had strength in her own right. He was sure of that, because when his legs had been unable to keep up with Legolas as he ran up the stairs, he had started to fall, but slim arms had suddenly caught him up, up-righting him before he could growl out protest at falling. He was not as light as he had been during the quest. Not overly ample, but not as light. He blinked away the thoughts as she spoke softly. "I suppose he is," she agreed.
"You'll have to speak up a bit. My hearing is not what it was, and I was never an elf."
She sent him a laughing look, letting him see clearly she knew he had heard her. "But the world has many ears, and those I would avoid," she countered, her voice still soft, though since she spoke directly at him he caught the words more easily. A slight sadness touched her again, so they walked in silence for a while, until she suddenly stopped and turned, a smile tilting her lips even as Legolas emerged. "Business done?" she asked softly.
"Indeed," he agreed. "Back to pleasure." He smiled at her before looking down at Gimli. "Have you been shown round the gardens then?"
"Such as they are," he agreed.
Legolas sent Lunian a bemused look, which she pointedly ignored, still twirling the leaf in her fingers. He tugged the leaf free, working it into the tail of the braid that hung down to her hips before turning back to his newly arrived friend.
The three traveled through the gardens, and then the palace, stopping finally—to Gimli's thinking—in a small room that was near the library. The other occupants of the room left quickly, which Gimli found annoying though he did not mind the peace from their prying eyes. He was a private person, even for a dwarf, and immensely disliked being stared at in such a manner.
At dinner, he once again found it to be a fine affair, with plenty of food and wine. Tonight, though, he spent more time talking, since he had two friends with him. Lunian seemed to come alive this time, laughing and joking, teasing even. At a moment when the conversation was loudly dominated elsewhere, he went back to his food, but soon Legolas and Lunian were bantering again, the looks on their faces quite obviously that of deep caring. As Lunian laughed again to some story he told of dwarves, asking questions with an animated face and sparkling eyes, he caught a look on Legolas's face which was so odd as to capture his memory. The elf looked happy, confused, worried and upset all at the same time, with joy utmost.
He was still mulling that over when they disbanded for the night. "May I escort you to your room, Lunian?" he asked, bowing before her.
She laughed softly, bowing her head. "I would be honored, Gimli," she returned. "But I am afraid it is a bit out of your way."
He huffed. "I can find my way," he promised.
Legolas laughed softly, knowing Lunian had felt the feelings slipping through him, since he still had not had a chance to tell Gimli. "Let us all go," he murmured, taking her hand as they walked through the halls.
"Well, I guess this is where we leave you, elf," Gimli declared when they stopped outside the room Legolas and Lunian had shared for the past years.
Lunian looked up at Legolas, asking him what to do. He smiled and touched her cheek. "Actually, my friend, this is where we leave Lunian. Unless you are too tired to speak with an old friend for a while?" he lifted a brow at Gimli.
Gimli looked at the door, then down the hall in confusion. "I…" he trailed off as Lunian flushed slightly. "I am not too tired," he agreed at once, noticing the interlocked fingers of his two friends for the first time, since they had allowed him to lead.
Legolas smiled slightly, shifting back into his tongue as he addressed Lunian. "I will explain, my love."
Lunian laughed softly. "I do not think you have to, Legolas," she countered, keeping her tongue in the one Gimli could understand. "It seems he knows well what melamin means." She touched his cheek before slipping into their room.
"Indeed I do," Gimli agreed with a grunt. "So I was not wrong?" he asked softly, struggling to keep up as Legolas strode quickly down the hall to the guest room Gimli had been given. Only when they were both inside and the door had closed did Legolas turn towards him.
"You were not wrong," he said finally.
"Harumph." Gimli muttered unintelligibly and eased his weight onto the soft bed with a sigh. "I like her."
"So do I," Legolas murmured, sounding decidedly amused.
"I would hope you more than like her, if she is sharing your room."
Legolas frowned faintly, and then sighed. "It is no secret, Gimli. I love her, have for several years now. When she admitted to loving me, I asked her to marry me."
Gimli glanced at him in annoyance. "Why didn't you say so!" he asked loudly. "Has the wedding already taken place, or is it going to still?"
"It hasn't, and it's not."
Gimli blinked and wriggled a finger in his ear. "Come again?"
Legolas was frowning at the corner. "She refuses to marry me, for whatever reason. Her given reason is that it will be hard enough for me when she dies without adding in it being the death of my wife, but it is a weak argument. It will be her death I mourn, whether she is my wife or not."
"It is just silly to think it would be worse if she were your wife than if she was not, if you love her!" Gimli agreed heartily.
Legolas sighed softly and looked at his short friend. "She hopes by disallowing the marriage she will keep me from fading when she dies." He shook his head. "I have little hope, on that score, but I have promised I shall try to endure life without her."
"Ah… fading?" Gimli asked, frowning slightly.
A faint smile touched Legolas's lips, but not even the slight amusement could touch him any deeper than that right now. The sadness of the past years built whenever he thought about the future if Lunian wasn't beside him at the time. Her closeness, her scent and warmth, drove any sorrow almost perfectly effectively away. Sometimes a little would remain or return, but a quick kiss or even a slight touch would soon correct the matter. "An elf may fade when he or she loses the will to live. More commonly called death by grief, or a broken heart."
Gimli stared blankly at the elf. "Anyone of any race can lose the will to live." His tone was skeptical, as if suicide had never entered his mind at the same time as elves had.
Another faint smile tweaked Legolas's lips. "It is different for elves, I believe. It is not a conscious decision to die, usually. It is more that with nothing to look forward to, no reason to remain, we simply… fade. Cease to be." He shrugged a shoulder as if the matter were of no importance whatsoever.
"You think you would… fade, if Lunian died?"
"I have nearly faded for being parted from her, and for believing she did not love me. As I said, I have little hope to survive her death."
Gimli blinked and marveled anew at what strange creatures elves were. "What does she think of the whole business?"
"She has tried everything she could think of to avoid my death, including trying to send me away in the hopes I would fall out of love with her. All to no avail. My love for her rivals that of all elves for the stars."
Gimli had often seen Legolas forgo physical rest as a member of the fellowship, choosing instead to stand at the edge of the group, staring up at the stars, so he knew elves dearly loved the stars. Being so enamored of something one could not touch was a bit beyond complete comprehension for him. Lunian, though, her he could understand loving. Not in the way Legolas claimed to, of course. He preferred females with beards, especially when they were shorter than he was. "You could have done much worse than her, I think," he rumbled at last. "Much worse indeed."
Legolas chuckled at that. "Most hint that I should have fallen in love with an elf. That it is more 'natural'."
Gimli frowned. "Were not humans once elves?"
"In a manner of speaking," Legolas agreed, not wishing to embark on a history lesson with any dwarf at such a time of night.
"Then why should anyone be against Lunian because she is half human?"
"She is mortal, so loving her will probably be the death of me. They know it, they fear it."
"You don't," Gimli stated curiously. He did not feel that Legolas was worried about the possibility, in fact, he had treated the entire situation almost as if it was amusing, from what Gimli could tell, at any rate. Which wasn't much, though he was better at reading Legolas than any other elf… even if he got the feeling Legolas let go of his control of his features from time to time so he, and others not of the elves, didn't feel so overwhelmed by the seeming lack of emotions and life.
"There is no point in worrying about it, Gimli. I have come close to death many times, but I have lived a long life, which I can now call full, having such friends as I do, and having one to truly love." His eyes seemed to darken, growing even deeper and wiser for a moment, making Gimli think of the Lady Galadriel. "Loving Lunian is to live each day feeling as if it was eternity, that the joy and peace will last forever. In that way, I have lived longer loving her than I have lived before. On the same note, the idea of life returning to its previous state, bereft of those things, lacking only in her presence… there is no comprehending it. Without Lunian, I have no light, no joy, no peace. What is an elf without those things?"
"Human?" Gimli asked, fidgeting on the bed. How serious elves could be, and how horrible the thought of Legolas dying! "Let us speak of this no longer," he declared, unable to grasp the concept.
"It avoids understanding for you as well, my friend?" Legolas asked softly, his eyes returning to normal. He smiled faintly. "Then I shall return to my beloved, and leave you in peace."
"Out with you!" Gimli demanded gruffly, drawing a soft chuckle from the departing elf. Gimli couldn't help but wonder about Lunian's feelings about the whole thing. Of course, she would probably not be as candid about it, seeing as loving her was killing an elf. Gimli shook his head. "Poor girl," he muttered grimly. It was a heavy burden for any to bear.
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