Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, J.R.R Tolkien does!

Chapter 11: Sting of Doubt

The tower room seemed tainted now, the longer Aranel spent there the more she could hear Legolas's words echoing between the walls, offering no escape from the turmoil in her mind. After leaving the winding stair case for what was the last time she thought, the place no longer holding any of its former appeal, Aranel could think of nothing else to do but go and sit in her chambers, it had now become the only place where she knew she would not be disturbed, even if it was only for a while. And so she sat on the window sill, the last of the suns rays sending a golden glow over the land which Aranel was barely aware of, she did not see the stunning scene before her or hear the last songs of the birds before the sun sank below the horizon. All Aranel saw was Legolas, terrifying in his anger and devastating in looks, she knew now for certain that her attraction to him was doomed to always be like this, their encounters being so charged with conflict and emotion she could not imagine how easily she would drown if ever there encounters become more than just that; encounters. Aranel's mind wondered as she finally began to understand the conflict between the two races, no matter how hard she tried she could not understand Legolas in the slightest, he seemed her complete opposite in just about everything and she wondered if she was the first Fay to find herself in a situation like this, after all, opposites attracted she thought. So deep was she in thought that she failed yet again to notice the presence in her room. It was only until he was standing closely behind her that she noticed him, making her turn quickly and almost loose her balance on her perch.

"Careful Aranel, I don't think anyone would be to pleased if you came to your demise by falling out of the window."

"Why am I not surprised to see you?" Aranel muttered standing and taking in the familiar form the mysterious man who had visited her in the night.

"Having a bad day are we?" he said, smirking slightly.

"That's none of you business." Aranel snapped, annoyed at being disturbed.

"Come come, don't be like that, I merely came to see how you're getting along, now that your father has ridden off and left you."

"He hasn't left me, and again, what business is it of yours? I don't even know who you are."

"True, would you feel more comfortable if you knew my name?" he asked, smiling a charming smile at Aranel who narrowed her eyes at him. She gave him a nod in reply, a lot more wary of the man than she had been.

He chuckled quietly at her clear mistrust of him, "Alright then, I am Orenar, does that make you feel better?"

"Orenar…I have heard that name before…"Aranel trailed off into her thoughts, trying to remember where she has heard the name.

"Have you know? You may have read it somewhere, I was a leader during the times of war." He answered quickly, as if anxious to change the subject.

"Perhaps…" was Aranel's only reply as she eyed him.

A silence followed which Aranel used to assess the man in front her, wondering if he spoke the truth or if that was even his name.

"So, how goes it than? Does Evandar drive you insane or do you actually get along with the man?" Orenar asked frowning in annoyance.

"Evandar? Why wouldn't I get along with him? He seems nice enough to me."

"Yes, I suppose he would. You just wait until his meddling side comes out. According to Evandar everything is his business." Orenar rolled his eyes at this, before looking back at Aranel to gage her reaction.

Aranel opened her mouth to protest but then realised that Evandar had indeed been quite meddlesome recently, how is it his business what goes on between me and Legolas anyway? she suddenly realised.

"Ah, so he has already begun to interfere with things that aren't his business has he?" Orenar asked casually.

"I suppose, though I'm sure he doesn't mean to." Aranel replied

"But I'm sure he does, Aranel. Do you not find it odd that your father would leave you here with Evandar instead of taking you with him?"

Aranel had thought of this briefly but had decided that her father had thought it best for her to stay. However, now doubt started to slowly snake it's way back into he mind.

"Yes, very strange isn't it Aranel, " Orenar commented as if reading her very thoughts. "Don't you think it's odd that you are left here, and the only way to contact your father is through Evandar?" he continued, a knowing smile crossing his lips as a small frown played across Aranel's features, showing the doubts that he knew she had hidden from herself.

"But my father wouldn't intentionally…. I mean, he knows that Evandar and I are friends, he would have thought it best for me to stay here with people I at least know instead of taking me away from here." Aranel tried to reason.

"Well, yes, that could very well be the reason. I just thought that you would have wondered why, I mean you would have had the best teachers in the kingdom had you gone and you would be away from the elves, which is what I thought your father would have wanted, but, I'm clearly wrong."

Aranel did not reply to this, she had indeed thought of all this before, she had wondered why her father had not taken her with him, and why Evandar had been her only way to contact him, What If I didn't want Evandar to know I had contacted my father. She suddenly thought, and now she wondered why Evandar cared if there was something between her and Legolas, it really wasn't his business and besides that, she could judge for herself.

"He has been getting rather close to you has he not? Evandar I mean." Orenar suddenly cut across her thoughts, again as if he could easily read them.

Aranel nodded slightly as the pieces of the puzzled slowly fell into place.

Her father had left her, Evandar would know anything that happened around her because he was her only contact with Illindor, and he evidently cared about her enough to be jealous enough of Legolas to try and warn her against him.

"Why would my father do this?" she whispered out loud, feeling horribly betrayed by the people she cared most about.

"It must be hard for him Aranel, suddenly he has a daughter who knows nothing about everything he believes in, holds dear…it would make sense that he would want to… well… not get rid of…but resolve such problems. I suppose Evandar would be an excellent choice to take you on, being so close to your father. And the favour he would receive in return! The political power that would come if you were to end up with Evandar!"

"But…that's just ridiculous, he doesn't even know me! He can't just pass me off to some Lord like I was some possession to win political favour! He wouldn't do that to me, I know him and he wouldn't!" Aranel said defiantly.

"Do you know him that well Aranel?" Was all Orenar had to say to make Aranel flounder in her resolve.

"He wouldn't." she murmured as she stared out the window, lost again in thought.

"I didn't mean to upset you Aranel, you're a smart woman, I'm sure you'll be okay. But if you do need to talk to someone without Evandar having to know, all you need do is call." he murmured as he slipped a small charm on a long chain into Aranel's hand.

She nodded absentmindedly as she looked down at the pendant, Orenar leaving, a poisonous smile on his lips as he knew Aranel's quick and untrusting mind would do most of his work for him.

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It was well into the night before Aranel found enough courage to leave her room and make the journey to apologise to Legolas. She had sat for hours debating what to do, playing idly with the pendant that now hung around her neck, hidden beneath the neck of her dress. The pendant was a beautiful one, she thought, the stone was floorless, the red so dark that it seemed black, set into a simple silver design. She looked at it know, watching it as the red glinted out of the darkness. She had finally come to the decision that she couldn't trust Evandar, no matter how much she wanted to, and as for her father, she would deal with that when he returned. It was through this that she finally realised that out of everyone Legolas was the only one she could remotely trust, so, even though the stubborn side of her was protesting madly, she had decided that she would apologise to Legolas, rather than let the gap between the grow until there was no return.

She thought all this through again as she made her way to his chambers, the walk seeming like it took an eternity and upon finally reaching the door she wished it had taken longer.

She knocked slowly; feeling like each strike sealed her doom, and waited for a reply. And waited, until finally she realised no one was going to answer. Part of her was washed with relief and part was devastated as she turned, running her hand though her hair and leaned heavily on the door. Why is this so bloody difficult she wondered.

She was about to walk away and try again tomorrow, when the door suddenly gave way behind her, sending her falling backwards into the room beyond. It was only until she felt strong arms quickly wrap themselves around her to stop her fall that she realised Legolas had opened the door while she lent on it.

He steadied her, his hands gripping her hips until she found her feet, only making her stumble all the more until she finally pulled herself away from him and almost ran to the other side of the room.

"Please come in." he murmured as he shut the door, his brow raised slightly at her.

"Thanks." was the only reply Aranel could come up with as she tried to compose herself.

A silence stretched between them, Legolas watching her as she smoothed her skirts an unnecessary amount of times and tried to avoid his gaze.

"I assume you came here for a reason other than to groom yourself." He prompted

Aranel immediately stopped straightening herself, her eyes flicking quickly to him and finding him, as always, far to distracting to look at.

"I…yes, I did. Umm…well, I wanted to talk to you about today-"

"I'd rather we didn't, Aranel, I said things I would rather forget about." He said emotionlessly.

"Oh, okay then…I…so what does that mean, sorry?" Aranel asked caught off guard, hoping the disappointment she felt wasn't evident in her voice.

"Aranel, surely you can see it? I am an Elven Prince, and you are a Fay, what I said today was not thought through, it meant nothing."

Aranel watched him, she could see his mouth moving but she hadn't expected his words to have such an effect on her, the disappointment she felt was crushing and she suddenly found it hard to breathe.

"Oh, right, of course. I mean it's not like I thought you and I… anyway." She took a deep breath, quickly looking up in a trick she had learnt that helped the tears from falling. "Umm…I actually just wanted to apologize for my behaviour, I've been thinking a lot of things through and well, it seems that you're the only person I can trust, cos well, yeah…Evandar isn't who I thought he was but anyway. Since we cleared that up I suppose that doesn't matter now." Aranel looked up then finding Legolas's emotionless gaze. "Well, I suppose I'll see you around, sorry to disturb you." She said quietly, locking eyes with his one last time, looking away quickly when she found no hint of regret or anything for that matter in his eyes, his face taking on it's usual impenetrable mask.

Legolas watched her, reading the disappointment written on her face as clear as day and feeling the stab of guilt for causing such a look on her normally radiant features. He wondered what Evandar could have done to make her change her mind so suddenly about him and felt the flame of jealously that he had felt every time he saw him with her roar as his imagination brought life to the idea.

Aranel brushed past him quickly, her head down to hide her face as she hurried form the room, Legolas suddenly feeling that if he let her close the door on the situation now he would never find his way back into her heart.

She opened the door quickly, desperate to be out of the room and away, to never look on Legolas's face again and never feel the dizzying highs and crushing lows she felt with every word he said. However, her wish was not to be granted as Legolas's hand came to rest firmly on the door above her head, closing it with a small thud.

"Legolas, please…" Aranel whispered, desperate not to let him see her in such a state.

Legolas did not reply, he leant more heavily on the hand above her, bringing his body closer to hers, and placed his hand gently on her hip. He heard her sharp intake of breath as she stiffened at his touch.

"Aranel," he said quietly from behind her, making her stiffen even more. " Come, I thought you said you trusted me."

"I do," she whispered as he turned her gently into his arms, bring her even closer so their chests delicately touched, one hand still on her hip while the other found the base of her back, preventing her from stepping away from him again.

"Legolas I thought you said-"

"I did, I know. I just…you have no idea how hard it is to be around you, Aranel. I try to think of my father and my duty when all I really want is to forget it all take what I really want." He murmured quietly, tilting his head to catch her eyes.

"And what do you really want?" Aranel hardly dared to breathe.

"Do you not know?" Legolas replied equally as quiet, leaning in slightly until there faces where inches apart.

Aranel took a deep breath and closed her eyes to try and compose herself once again, which she found impossible with Legolas gently massaging the base of her back, and his warm breath gently brushing her cheek.

"Why can we not get this right?" she murmured almost to herself.

She felt Legolas shift slightly, and she opened her eyes to find his dark and full of the emotion she had so desperately wanted to see only a few minutes earlier and she suddenly knew what it was to drown in them like she had so wanted to but was so afraid of. She felt Legolas lean into her, kissing the corner of her mouth before moving gently across to her lips, capturing them gently, pressing gently on the small of her back to draw her closer to him. Aranel froze, completely overwhelmed as she felt Legolas's lips caress hers, and when he pulled back slightly to catch her eyes yet again, she wondered if she had in fact fallen asleep and was dreaming.

"Aranel, relax, you can trust me remember." He whispered, bringing her out of her shock. She smiled slightly which turned into a grin as he smiled back down at her, and she relaxed finally into him, her arms coming up to rest around his neck.

"Mmm, I remember." She whispered back as Legolas caught her lips yet again, kissing her deeply as his hands roamed her waist.

Finally Aranel reluctantly pulled back, Legolas immediately finding her gaze again as they both smiled at each other, Aranel resting her head gently against his chest as he ran his fingers gently through her hair. They remained like that for what seemed like an eternity and a millisecond rolled into one, Aranel yawning slightly bringing them both back down to earth.

"Tired?" Legolas queried gently.

Aranel nodded sleepily in reply, worn out from the turmoil of emotions she had been put through that day.

"I'll walk you back to your chambers if you like." Legolas suggested, releasing her slightly.

"That would be nice." Aranel murmured.

Legolas opened the door behind her, never letting her go, and leading her out into the hall. He shut the door quietly behind him and they made their way back to her chambers, Legolas leading her with his hand still on the small of her back, both quiet, content just to be in each others company.

Upon finally reaching the door Legolas turned to her, capturing her hands in between them. "I suppose this is good night then."

"I suppose it is." Aranel replied.

"Good night then," Legolas murmured, kissing her gently, squeezing her hands before reluctantly letting them go and stating back along the corridor.

"Good night." Aranel whispered back, smiling as her turned back to her, before she quietly entered her room, beaming in the darkness, and counting the hours till morning.

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There we go! Done, hope you like it, I'm a bit stressed as to how this one turned out so let me know!