Chapter 11

"My gift for you, Legolas, is a bow of the Galadhrim, worthy of the skill of our woodland kin." Galadriel smiled at the expression on my face when I saw the beautiful bow. I must have looked like a young, excitable child.

She then moved on to Merry and Pippin, who were looking just as childlike as me. They held out their hands, awaiting their gifts. Galadriel just continued to smile as she gave them each splendid looking knives, much nicer than the ones I carried.

"These are the daggers of the Noldorin. They have already seen service in war." She then bent close to Pippin and whispered in his ear. "Do not fear, young Peregrin Took. You will find your courage."

She then went on to Sam who had seen the knives and my bow. He looked very hopeful and couldn't help but show a look of disappointment when he received rope.

"And for you, Samwise Gamgee: Elven rope, made of hithlain."

"Thank you my lady…have you run out of those nice, shiny daggers?" He glanced at Merry and Pippin and then back to Galadriel. Her lips twitched and I wondered if she wished to laugh but she did not.

When she reached Adette, she placed a hand on her cheek and her smile softened into a sweet, almost motherly smile.

"Sweet Adette, always remember to never give up. If need be, I will come to you if your hope dwindles." She then placed a light kiss on Adette's forehead before continuing on to Gimli. I wondered why Galadriel had said those things to Adette, but tried not to think too much about it.

"And what gift would a dwarf ask of the elves?" She asked the blushing Gimli.

"Nothing, except to look upon the Lady of the Galadhrim one last time, for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth." When he said this, she laughed like a young girl. It echoed through the forest and lifted whatever grief had been left over in my heart.

As we dressed in our new cloaks given to us by Celeborn, Galadriel went away with Aragorn to speak to him privately. Aragorn seemed distressed by Galadriel's words and I dared not listen, for I did not want to pry into his business.

"Legolas?" Adette's hand warmed my arm. I turned my head to see her looking up at me with concerned eyes and I knew that she had seen her brother. "What are they saying?"

I cupped her cheek, feeling her smooth skin with my thumb. I leaned down to her ear so that our words would be private.

"I am not listening to what they are saying nightingale. They need privacy." I whispered.

"I just hope it isn't anything horrible." She murmured as I pulled away. I nodded in agreement, and as if he had heard us, Aragorn joined us once again. He was making an effort to look fine when I knew that he wasn't.

"Aragorn is everything alright?" Adette asked, watching as he readied the boats as Galadriel spoke alone to Frodo. He paused, looking at his sister, a fake smile plastered onto his face.

"Everything is fine sister." He then quickly went back to work. Adette sighed heavily and rolled her eyes in annoyance, stomping away from us. If Aragorn noticed he pretended not to and so I decided to do the same.

"Word of Arwen?" I asked, looking up to meet his eyes. He frowned slightly, shaking his head.

"Elves and their hearing." He muttered.

"I couldn't help it mellon. I won't breathe a word to anyone."

When he didn't reply I left him to be alone. I had never really stopped to think about how hard it must have been for him to be away from his lover. My wife traveled with me almost everywhere – we were hardly ever apart. Aragorn sometimes didn't see Arwen for many months and sometimes even years at a time.

I walked a ways down the path and saw Adette speaking with Boromir. I hid behind a huddle of bushes so that they would continue their conversation.

"Boromir you must think rationally. Please just calm down and remember what has happened." She muttered, touching her neck where the bruises were slowly fading.

"I am thinking rationally Adette. What if this is all for nothing? What if our cause is lost?" He spat angrily, managing to keep his face fairly gentle.

"Our cause is not lost until we lose hope. Galadriel told me to never give up, did you not hear her words?" She took hold of his wrist to keep him there.

"That is probably because she knows something will happen to you. Something bad will happen to you and she's warning you. Turn back before it's too late!" He wrenched his wrist from her grasp and made his way back to where the fellowship was assembling.

I watched Adette standing there alone, staring blankly after Boromir. I could sense her anger and her fear. She was taking Boromir's words about her destiny and Galadriel's words to heart. Her eyebrows furrowed and in a rage she slammed her fist into a nearby tree. She pressed her forehead against the bark and began whispering.

"What will happen to me? Am I to die during this journey? What will happen to Legolas and my brother…what will happen to them if I die?" Her words tugged at my heart and made me wish that Galadriel had never spoken those words to her. Now I was beginning to become afraid.

I slowly came from my hiding place and placed my hands on her back. She stiffened at my touch but relaxed when she realized that it was me.

"Eavesdropper." She accused under her breath, lifting her head from the tree and spinning around to face me.

"Even if I am, I only do it because I worry." I lifted her chin when she hung her head and my eyes became hard. "Did Boromir's words upset you?"

I thought about what Adette had said to me about letting go of my anger. I couldn't help that whenever someone raised a sword in her direction, threatened her life, injured her in any way that I wanted to kill whoever had caused her pain or had tried to cause her pain. It was instinctive for me to protect her because she was my wife and I loved her.

We had spoken many times about what had happened when I found the band of orcs after she had been raped and beaten. In my opinion they had not suffered enough, for what they had taken from Adette was something that was not theirs to take. They had taken her womanly right to bear children.

At first we hadn't known. Only after she miscarried did the healers discover what that damned orc had done to her womb…

FLASHBACK

"Legolas will you please stop fussing over me before I punch you?" Adette asked in a strained voice, trying to free herself from my hold. Celebriän, the chambermaid, had made her a tunic that would fit her during the pregnancy. She was showing only a little, but I could see it from anywhere I stood in the room.

"Adette I wish you would take it easy." I said quietly, letting my hands drop from her arms. She sighed and turned around to face me, placing a hand on my cheek.

"I just don't like you being so fussy Legolas. I will be gone only for a little while and then we can spend the rest of the day together alright?" She kissed my cheek, waiting for my response.

"Just be careful nightingale, the baby-"

"I know, I know." She nodded and I reached out, placing a hand over her belly. I rubbed it affectionately, stroking her cheek with my other hand. We were both delighted that we were going to be parents.

"Hurry back." I whispered, smiling as she whirled around and darted out the door. I chuckled to myself, going to the window to watch her leave. She carefully went down the stairs, probably knowing that I was watching, and finally disappeared from my sight.

Sighing I headed over to our bed and stretched out on it. Adette was sleeping even more restlessly than usual and it was starting to take its toll. I yawned and before I could even form another coherent thought, I was asleep.

"Princes Legolas! Princes Legolas, wake up!" A shrill voice shouted.

I sat up instantly upon hearing the voice. Celebriän was standing next to the bed, her hands on my shoulders. Her usually bright face was pale and very solemn looking. She had tears in her eyes, and I grew instantly afraid.

"What is it Celebriän? What is wrong?" I asked, laying my hands upon hers.

"Princess Adette has…the wounds from what happened with the band of orcs…something is wrong." She said slowly, tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

"What!" I roared, leaping to my feet. Without another word from Celebriän, I ran as fast as lightening to the wing used for those who had been injured or those who were dead and awaiting burial. I tried to stop the rapid beating of my heart but as I began to think about the orcs again I could only growl in frustration.

"Prince Legolas has arrived." I heard one of the healers murmur as I turned the corner. I saw two of them waiting for me, their faces grave.

"What is wrong with her? Is she alright?" I asked before I had even reached them. Once I was standing before them, they seemed at a loss for words. I waited impatiently for them to speak, nearing insanity.

"Princess Adette is alright, she's going to be fine. The baby-"

"The baby? Is the baby alright?" My eyes widened as I remembered the baby. The healers didn't have to say a word, for the look of pain and sorrow on both of their faces told me that our baby was dead.

END OF FLASHBACK

"I will be fine." Adette assured me, reaching for my face. She smiled sadly and I continued to hold a finger beneath her chin. "You were thinking about the baby weren't you?"

I sighed, closing my eyes. Somehow she always knew what was on my mind.

"Yes Adette, I was thinking about the baby." I answered softly.

She was quiet and I felt her hand trembling on my face. I opened my eyes to see that she had held a shaking hand to cover her face. Her eyes were closed. I took both of her hands into mine and kissed them, pleading them to cease their trembling.

"I'm sorry that I lost the baby Legolas. I know I've told you that but," she opened her eyes and I was thankful that there were no tears, "I really am sorry."

"Oh nightingale, it was not your fault." I assured her, pulling her against me. I wrapped my arms around her back and felt her burrow a nest for her head into my chest. I could feel her breath coming quick and held her closer. "Calm down Adette. Shh."

I looked up as I felt someone's stares and saw Galadriel looking at Adette and I from her perch upon the hill. Her eyes bore into mine when she saw me and I could have sworn I saw a look of sadness on her face. I refused to believe my lying eyes, and gently pulled Adette away from me.

"Are you alright now?" I asked, stroking her hair.

"Yes, thank you Legolas." She leaned up and I dipped my head and our lips met. She slipped her tongue into my mouth gently and I tasted its sweetness against my own. I cared not that everyone was probably watching us kiss passionately and intimately beside the tree, it only mattered that I was with Adette.

Adette's POV

It was Legolas, Gimli, and I in one of the boats, Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam in another, and Merry, Pippin, and Boromir in the last. We slowly made our way through the water, and I looked back to wave at Galadriel one last time. How I envied her stunning beauty and her lovely words. She had what I lacked – a feminine side.

When I could no longer look at the angelic woman, I turned and instead looked up at the sky. The gray had drifted from the sky and it was now a crystal clear blue color. The clouds were puffy and white, showing no signs of birthing rain anytime soon. The sun peaked out from behind one of them as if spying on us.

"Lass?"

"Hmm?" I turned around at Gimli's voice and waited for him to speak again. "What is it Gimli? I dare say you're blushing."

"Well if you're going to be that way…" He looked away grumpily.

"No please Gimli, what is it?" I smiled and he looked reluctant to continue.

"What is it…like…to…be…in…love?" He asked quietly, keeping his eyes on the water. His cheeks were burning furiously, almost as red as his hair and beard.

"Are you in love with Galadriel?" I questioned in an amused tone, giggling at the thought of Gimli speaking so badly of her and now blushing at the thought of her. He frowned.

"I never said that lass."

I turned back around and saw Legolas whip back around as I did. I raised an eyebrow and decided to play a game with the eavesdropping elf.

"I guess love is learning to deal with snoring." I started, rattling my brain to think of more things. "And-"

"I do not snore." Legolas argued, turning his head slightly.

"Who said that I was talking about you, Legolas Greenleaf?" I asked as-a-matter-of-factually. He turned, a scowl on his face.

"Then who do you speak of?"

"Anyways Gimli, I guess another thing about love is getting used to the way they pick off of your plate when you aren't looking." I winked at Legolas, and he knew to play along.

"But what about when they hog the blankets?" Legolas added, turning back around to continue paddling.

"Or when they just pick you up out of nowhere and carry you as if you had no legs?"

"Or when they punch you and kick you when you carry them?"

I reached out and tugged a piece of Legolas's hair, and he spun around so fast that the boat rocked. I scooted back, bumping into Gimli, but Legolas grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward so that he could yank a lock of my hair too. He then pulled my face to his and we kissed, wrapping our arms around each other.

"Alright lass I asked what it felt like to be in love," Gimli groaned, "not what it looked like."