Disclaimer: I do not own ANYTHING whatsoever :(

'By the Valar, she is beautiful'

Her long blond hair was braided intricately on top of her hair with chunks of waves hanging loosely, cascading down her back. Her sky her sky blue eyes and delicate features were glistening from the light of the fire in the corner of the room.

"You're awake" her voice sounded like the water flowing down a stream.

His lips were dry and chapped, his voice cracking. "I thought I was dreaming"

"Nay, this is reality. You are in Rivendel and have been sleeping many moons. I thought we were going to loose you. Do you remember anything? I found you lying in a field. The sword that sliced you was poisoned.," He moaned, feeling the pain in his chest. "Sleep now. I will return in the morning."

He woke the next morning to the sound of hooves. He jumped up and grabbed a rock ready for anything. A woman entered and screamed. The blondelleth ran to him. "Put the rock down. I forgot to tell him," she said to the other elleth. "This is my hand maiden sworn to secrecy. You are safe here." the pain in his chest was unbearable. He fell to black.

When he awoke again she was above him with a cloth pressed to his forehead. "Milord, you need to take it easy, your wounds are still fresh. Sit up and I'll rewrap them"

As she tended to his bandages he asked, "what is your name milady?" the elleth sitting across from them coughed. "I do not think names are appropriate"

"How can I thank you without a name, then?"

"You just did." she replied with a smile.

"I am Legolas Thranduillion of the Mirkwood realm."

"Well Legolas, you are all wrapped. Rest more and I will return tomorrow. Perhaps we shall read?"

"I would like that."

"Until then, good lord." She smiled at him before handing him a tunic and breeches. She and the elleth beside her walked out of the hut.

She kept her promise an returned the next day to read with him. They spent the entire day reading and talking about his life and Mirkwood. He told her about his mother and how she had passed, how his father almost faded from heartbreak, and how he had saved his father. He told her of his realm and the wonders and beauties of the forests. She tried not to talk about her life much. Just that she was a healer for Elrond and her father was one of his nobles. Before long the day had passed and she said goodbye once again to him.

The following morning she had brought another book to read to him. She had so many questions about his life and his realm that he felt overwhelmed. He tried to answer all of her questions and as they got to know each other he felt himself being drawn to her, to her spirit. He had never met an elleth like her and she had him captivated. Everything about her was bright and naive. She had never been outside Rivendel and he had the urge to bring her. He wanted to fulfill her every want and desire. He had never felt like this before and looked forward everyday to her visits. He could have left and visited Elrond and the twins but he felt no need to leave. He wanted to get to know her and show her everything she wanted to know.

The next morning she couldn't sleep. She wanted to spend as much time with Legolas as possible before he was able to leave. As she came towards the hut, she noticed the door was open. She walked to the stream and was stopped suddenly by him. He was bathing in the stream and she saw him in his full glory. He was beautiful. His hair was cascading down his back, his muscular arms up washing his hair showing his finely tuned abs from all the training he had endured. She knew it was wrong to stare but she couldn't help it. He had her entranced. She had never felt like this before and although she knew it was wrong, she wanted him. She walked forward to wait for him on a rock. He noticed her sitting there and began to walk out of the water. She wanted to turn away, not stare at him but she couldn't help it. Her eyes wandered over his body again making hers ache. He walked up to her with a blanket around his waist, "do you like what you see?" he said touching her arm. It send waves of pleasure and goose bumps throughout her body. This was wrong. She moved back, "I am sorry milord. " she said before she walked back to the hut. He got dressed and followed her.

As he entered the hut to talk to her, he noticed her hand maiden sitting in the corner. He kept quiet. "What are we reading today, Milady?"

"Poetry. Do you mind?"

"Not at all," he replied as he lied down beside her. As she read to him they came across a poem:

"My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears

And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;

Where can we find two better hemispheres

Without sharp North, without decline West?

Whatever dies, was not mixed equally

If our two loves become one, or thou and I

Love so alike that none can slacken, none can die"

"Tis a stupid poem"

"You do not believe in love, Legolas?"

"I believe in love but you cannot turn immortal just by being in love. We are born with this privilege. Mortals cannot turn immortal just by loving someone. It makes no sense."

"You miss the point, Legolas. This poem is saying that our love cannot be overcome by death for even after death we will still be in love. Our love has no boundaries." She said with passion in her voice. He was silenced by her words, it was if she was speaking directly to him the way she spoke with such fire and intensity in her voice while looking directly into his eyes as she spoke. Could she have feelings for him as he did for her? He loved her, he realized, and wondered with awe, how could he have fallen for her so fast? His mind was in turmoil, and she was still staring at him waiting for an answer. He leaned closer into her.

"That is enough of this talk. I do not think your betrothed would appreciate this." Her hand maiden spoke up. He looked at her stunned before looking to the woman he thought he loved. 'How could I be so stupid?' he thought to himself. She could tell he was hurt by Talathiel's words, as was she. Talathiel knew she did not want to marry a man she did not love or even know. Her father was arranging her marriage just so he could get rid of her. He did not love her, and a few times when she disobeyed him he had hit her. Talathiel knew of this and for her to say something when earlier this morning, she was talking about her attraction to Legolas. She wanted him to take her away to Mirkwood so she could start new and live a better life, maybe even with him. She even told her that she thought she may be falling for Legolas. Talathiel's words were true, but she did not have to be so blunt about it. She wanted to tell Legolas at her own time, when she thought the time was right, and now he was probably going to leave. She was hardly even betrothed she had not seen or heard from him in weeks, since he left to find a group of orcs that had raided a town close by. He was dead for all she knew or cared. She looked at Legolas and he looked back at her with hurt in his eyes. She wanted to cry.

"I am sorry" she whispered and got up to leave. He grabbed her hand for a brief second before letting go and watched her and her hand maiden leave. She turned to look at him with apology in her eyes, then left.

He knew he should go now, go back home to his father and continue his duties to his king and country, but he couldn't. Not without answers. 'I will wait for her to return tomorrow morning and get the answers I need then, I will leave. How could I be so stupid? To think she had feelings for my by the way she talked and looked into my eyes. She could have had that passion about love from her love with her betrothal. Ai, what a fool I am. All the signs pointed to it, I was just too blind to see, too confident in myself.' He thought about everything about her and what he had just learned for the rest of the night.

The following morning he watched her walk towards him with her head down. He was in a tree above the hut thinking when he spotted her. She was so beautiful and he knew now that he could not help the way he felt about her. She had him entranced, her mind body and spirit. He had never felt like he had when he was around her. She made him feel things that he had never felt before and although he knew it was wrong he could not help himself. He loved her and he did not even know her name.

He climbed down the tree and stood in front of her. She was still looking down and he lifted her head under her chin so she would look at him. He wanted to see her face, wanted to look at her and see how she was feeling. When their eyes locked he knew he would love her for the rest of his life. "I am so sorry, Legolas."

"Don't be."

"No, I should have told you. I shouldn't have lied to you"

"Then why did you?" he asked.

"I could not bear to tell you the truth. You make me feel things I should not be feeling." She had tears in her eyes now and all he wanted to do was comfort her.

"Do you love him?" She looked down, "He is everything I should want as a husband." She said with sadness in her voice. She answered his question. She didn't love her betrothed and he still had a chance.

"Do you love me?" She abruptly looked up,

"Legolas,"

"do you love me?" he asked her again.

"Yes" she whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks. He leaned in and kissed her.