A/N: Hello faithful readers!
Here is a brand new spiffy chapter... It's taken me ages to complete, just because my mind has been revolting lately and every time I sat down to work on it no words came out. Last night I managed to take a virtual sledgehammer to the brick wall I've come to see as my writers block, and here is what I came up with.
This chapter is full of letters. I thought it was a good way to show that time was passing... so if any of you are confused, just let me know and I'll be sure to explain/correct it in the future.
Disclaimer: It ain't mine. All that is mine are people like Gildor, Aliana, Lauraliln, etc. I also claim rights to that bush over there. And the sparrow. And the flower.
Chapter 9 : Letters
Dear Legolas,
I am finally replying to your, hold on, let me count... seventeen letters you have sent so far. Seventeen? I am sorry I have not replied sooner, but I have not had any spare time recently, for reasons I will tell you right... now!
Every day I have lesson upon lesson, and it's getting extremely tedious. I wish I had another teacher. Glorfindel doesn't put up with any nonsense... he isn't any fun at all! Lauralin is lucky... she doesn't have any lessons until she turns 13...
On the more interesting side, I have learned how to ride horses expertly, thanks to Uncle Elladan. I've also convinced Uncle Elladan to even mentor me in archery! It's much more difficult than you say... especially with the wooden bows instead of the easy plastic ones that we had back... (well, it isn't exactly 'home' anymore...) back in the other world. Maybe I'll be able to learn to wield a sword sometime. Every night my muscles ache from training, but that is quickly fading. (hooray!) Aunt Arwen insists on teaching me how to be a lady... manners, and the whole sha-bang. It's more interesting than the lessons Glorfindel has, but sitting up straight and learning to ballroom dance aren't the most important things on my to-do list.
I hope your life in Greenwood have been going well. How is your mother? Is she doing well? And your father? (king! I still can't get over that...) I hope you're getting to know each other. You and (King!) Thranduil really seemed to 'click' last time I saw you. I hope that hasn't changed.
Gildor and I are getting really close. He tells me of all sorts of places far from Rivendell... so many places I would love to visit! I may even get to see you in Greenwood someday. Daddy and Grandfather keep promising...
Well, in the meantime, Arwen is waiting for me in the doorway. I will send this sometime today.
Love, your (favorite) sister,
Alíana
Legolas sighed happily as he folded up Alíana's letter again. Finally, a reply letter from her! He set the letter to one side, pulling out a piece of paper to reply on. He dipped a quill in ink, and started to reply.
(Number 18)
To my (favorite) sister,
Thank you for replying... I would much rather see you or hear your voice (telephone, anyone?), but I guess this will have to do. You have lovely handwriting... did you know that? Well, for your convenience, I will now number my letters to you. You see I have done so already.
Luckily, Greenwood is not as boring as it is obviously in Rivendell. I have lessons, too, but I find them quite interesting. And I'm quickly becoming notorious for my archery skills, which absolutely soared since my arrival here four months ago. Hard to believe I could get any better, isn't it? It's quickly become my favorite thing to do, (aside from eating!)
You will never guess what I am going to get in eight months time... a baby brother! It seems that Mom and Dad were a little too excited to have me back... and now I will stop writing about this, so the images will go away. (ahh!)
I am happy for you and Gildor. He seemed nice, when I met him.
Well, my father is promising to send me back to Rivendell sometime to see you, as I keep pestering him to. Maybe you can bother your grandfather into letting in a poor, needy elf such as myself into your care for a few weeks? It will be just like old times.
And now I go to my studies, have fun with yours!
Your (only, but favorite) brother,
Legolas
(for the eighteenth time)
Legolas folded it up and sealed it with a wax seal that Thranduil had given him. He glanced around his room. It was early morning, and Legolas still had no shirt on. He stood up and stretched, walking outside of his room and onto his balcony, letting the crisp late autumn air play across his skin. Greenwood was everything Legolas had remembered, and much more. It was vast, full of trees (great for climbing into and surprising unsuspecting passers-by) and it was full of activity. The palace was large and full of many confusing corridors. It was huge, compared to many of the village halls and houses, but as large as it was above ground, it had masses of space under ground in natural caves.
It had been four months since his departure from Rivendell, his first time apart from Alíana. It had been hard at first, not seeing her smile or feeling her friendly presence beside him every day, but time heals wounds, they say. And time, however short the time was, had assured him that separation was not going to ruin their relationship. Nothing would come between them. Alíana (now) wrote letters to him, and he wrote letters to her. Most of them were along the same lines as the one he had just written that morning, that life was boring without her, and that lessons were interesting, and that he missed her dearly. The only real exception to this letter was the news of his mother's pregnancy... which has only just become apparent to the rest of the world, and which Legolas had only discovered last night.
As Legolas thought back to her letter, he thought back to Alíana's comment about her and Gildor... that elf had a bad aura around him, Legolas had sensed it the first time he had met him. And he becoming close to Alí disturbed Legolas. He hoped that Gildor would quickly disappear... or die on one of those scouting missions that Alí mentioned he was on, and how she missed him. Legolas didn't want to tell her of his feelings about her Gildor, but he was afraid that every letter that would he would become more and more wary of his constant 'I'm happy for you's... which he was positive he would do. Someday he would have to break it to her before she fell too deeply in... he hated to think someone could love Gildor.
Legolas reentered his room and dressed for the day, braiding his hair and trying to look as princely as possible... his Father said it came naturally, but Legolas was still having trouble pulling it off. He grabbed the letter and tucked it inside of his shirt before he left the room. He stopped off at a room where messages were sorted through. There was a friendly elf sitting at the desk who was pouring over records of some sort.
He stood up as Legolas entered, bowing to the Prince. "Good morning, my Lord Legolas," he said in a friendly tone of voice. "You have another one for that princess of yours?" he guessed before Legolas could say anything.
"Yes, Teithan," Legolas said, slightly sheepishly.
"You're writing to her almost weekly!" Teithan observed, taking Legolas' letter and slipping it into a slot that had the word 'Imladris' written across the front of it. Greenwood had one of the best message services, and it was very proud of that fact. It reminded Legolas of local post offices in the other world.
"I miss her a lot," Legolas said, Alíana's smiling face came to his mind, which in turn made him smile.
"Could it be more of a feeling that a simple 'I miss her'?" Teithan winked. Legolas was brought back to reality. He evaded Teithan's question by saying,
"I'll see you later, Teithan. No doubt next week with my next letter," Legolas smiled. "Thank you."
"Any time, my Prince," Teithan inclined his head to Legolas before returning to his reading, and Legolas left the room.
oOo
Dear Legolas,
I am sorry I have not written. I'm such a bad elf... I have been so busy! (again...) I got all of your letters... this is response to number thirty-one, I believe. I know I haven't got time to answer them all, but it is lovely to hear from you so often, Legolas. I really do love it.
Glorfindel insists I am not even close to knowing all I need to know of Elven History and Lore, and every day I am busy with things such as training in Archery or horse riding. It is so much more than our lazy days back home! I almost miss it a little...
Wow! A little brother! I wish I had a little brother. He would be less annoying than Lauralin. I could even teach him the beginners ropes of horseback riding... (which I am very good at now, by the way).
I can't seem to think of anything else but Gildor these days... he told me he loved me! And I love him. It has been nine months since we met... he is so charming, and handsome, and mysterious... it always sends shivers up and down my spine when we kiss... have you found a lover? I really recommend it! Oh the feeling of love is bliss! I'm so happy Gildor chose me.
Well, I hope to write soon, but who knows whether that will come true!
-Alíana
Legolas gritted his jaws again, and set down the paper. More lovey-duvvy, mushy-gushy crap about Gildor. Why did she have to reiterate this every letter? Honestly... did she have any other life besides the one that Gildor and her shared? What of the life she had lived before? She had been perfectly happy in that life! They had been perfectly happy in that life.
Alí had sent him a total of four letters... FOUR. And there Legolas was, writing every week, with 31 letters total.
Needless to say, Legolas was not in a very good mood.
He rose from his desk and turned to grab his bow and quiver from where they were laid carelessly yesterday on a table and whirled out of his room. His thoughts blurred and he found he couldn't sort one thought from the other. He marched outside, still not exactly clear on why he was reacting to Alí's letter this way.
Legolas couldn't wait to vent his energy on something worthwhile.
"If I was back on Earth, I would be blasting aliens right now on the GameCube..." Legolas muttered darkly to himself. His mind was so distracted that he hardly noticed what he was doing, and his archery was becoming careless and quite terrible. He completely missed the target frequently, which only set him in even more of a towering mood.
What was with him today!
He was so focused on venting his anger that he did not notice his mother approaching. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, and her belly was swollen with child. She looked regal.
"What is wrong, Tithenglas ("Little Leaf")," she asked. Legolas merely grunted, acknowledging her presence. "Don't try to hide something from your mother. It is impossible," she added. "What is wrong?"
"Nothing, mother..." he said, though at the look on his mother's face, he continued. "I don't know. Things just haven't been happening right recently," Legolas shuffled his feet, his eyes staring everywhere but at his mother.
"Walk with me, and tell me about it," His mother offered her arm to Legolas. Slightly uncomfortable, he took it and walked with her. He loved his mother dearly, but he didn't really want to tell her what was on his mind. But his mother had the talent of persuasion, and he found himself spilling out his most private thoughts and worries for Alíana...about how annoying it was that she wasn't writing to him and that every time she did all she did was gush about Gildor and about how boring her life was.
"She's taking me for granted... and I don't like it," Legolas said moodily.
"She has no right to do that," Legolas' mother agreed. "Though, it sounds like a certain son of mine is a little jealous," his mother raised her eyebrows when Legolas turned away.
"Jealous? Me? I'm not jealous," Legolas knew he might as well be growing a nose, like Pinocchio's. He was downright lying to his mother.
"Legolas," his mother said firmly, stopping them in their tracks and placing her hands on both of his shoulders. "I know how much you love Alíana. You are closer to her than you are to myself or your father. If you miss her so much and you resent her choice of lover, you need to tell her. She will not figure it out on her own."
Legolas didn't want to have to tell her. She should know! A million things about the past months of separation, a million doubts, a million wishes, a million thoughts rushed into Legolas' head. He resented everything about what he was thinking, but he wasn't about to do anything about it.
"I won't tell her. She'll just have to grow a brain and figure it out," he said childishly. He knew he was going about the situation wrongly, but he didn't care anymore.
He didn't want to care anymore.
A/N:Ooh... Legolas is maaaaaad! I don't know why, but this ending to the chapter just seemed to work a lot better than the other endings I tried. I guess it makes sense to someone to channel emotional torment into anger... and poor Legolas being ignored is not something he likes! Well anyway... here are the Review Responses to the last chapter!
4EverGlenda - :) You're definately my friend, even if we only talk occasionally. It's always fun to chat with you... even if my spanish sucks sometimes... often... Oh you know what I mean!
Harmony 99 - Your reviews make me smile! You rock my world because you're so happy and bubbly and you review! And yes, I do have AIM and MSN. AIM - IvyTheGreat1889 or Tinuviel2013; and MSN I've added you to my AIM, so I hope to hear from you!
XeNaPuMpKiN - Sorry about the wait, girl! Hope you did well on that physics final last year! ;) I am quite bad about cliffhangers, aren't I?
Black as the Shadows - Your wish is my command. ca-ching
Four reviews? I know more people read this! I promise to update more often if more of you say 'hello' to me! ;) Hope you enjoyed, and much love from this authoress!
3 The Hobbit Ivy