Wiping the sweat from his brow, Legolas couldn't help but pause to watch Lunian as she helped with the set-up of one of the completed talans. She glanced down at him and smiled, waving a few fingers before returning to work. He smiled faintly and returned to work, lending his hand at the timbers they were forming for use in the other dwellings.
Some of the elves had protested when he had insisted he and Lunian needed nothing more than the others for their dwelling, proclaiming he would need somewhere to hold court. They still hadn't agreed entirely on that part, but their talan was complete. There were some plans up for grabs about an informal court room nearby, but nothing definite yet. He could live without one, but he knew it would be a good idea to at least make a show of being the ruler.
He preferred being the leader, to the king. Well, why not?
He grinned at his thoughts, liking the freedom he had gained from moving outside, away from the palace. It was the freedom he had only felt before when traveling or visiting another realm for a short time. He liked it.
Out of consideration for Lunian's human eyes and the aches of the rest of the group, they called a halt when the sun began to slip behind the trees. After the meal, which was happy if subdued, all the elves with talans finished went up to sleep. Those who didn't shared the clearing that had been worn bare by the constant passing of feet. Not that there had been much in the way of vegetation beneath the trees, anyway.
Legolas lifted a hand to one of the workers in his group, saying a silent goodnight before he looked around. He spied Lunian standing with a group of she-elves near the edge of the clearing. He slipped up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. She had been expecting him since the she-elves had all glanced at him at one time or another during his silent approach.
She glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled, then nodded at the group, excusing herself. "Yes, my lord?" she teased when she turned to him.
He smiled back, kissing her quickly. "I wondered if Milady would care to join me in rest."
"Rest only?" she pouted, causing several blinks in the group behind her.
He laughed softly. "If you can stay awake, you're welcome to do so," he teased back, seeing exhaustion in her eyes. She started to respond, but he shook his head. "Love, I can see that you are fighting sleep even as we stand here talking. For my sake if not your own, go to bed."
"Your sake?" she asked, looking a bit disgruntled.
"How am I supposed to carry you up a ladder while you sleep?"
She rolled her eyes and shook her head before walking away from him towards their talan. He nodded his head at the she-elves before following Lunian.
The elves remaining on the ground looked after them for a long moment, then collectively lowered their eyes in shame.
"How could we have been so unseeing?" Nallina asked softly. "Why were we unable to understand?"
Silomern, who had come only to help with the construction before he would report back to the king, shook his head. "We failed to see several things. Not only that she is more like an elf than a human, but also the great love they have for each other. Perhaps here the gross error so many of us committed can be put right."