An Eye-opener for the Prince
"Stop it!" she demanded. He saw a hint of a smile on her face so he continued. "I mean it."
The elf gave another grin and splashed her again with water from his fingertips. She stood with a stern look on her face as his boyish grin disappeared. Not knowing what to expect he also stood. Her ill looking mood shortly vanished and replaced with a big grin of her own as she splashed him with water like he did with her before.
With the courtesy of her hands, he yelled out from the cold water she placed on his face. He ran towards another bucket to do the same. They dodged each other's water attacks in the bright morning sun until someone ruined their merriment.
"Le'ariel, please stop wasting time," Minar called from the stairwell. Her features were tight and unhappy as if they were doing something vulgar and rude. Le'ariel politely curtseyed and continued drawing water from the river so that their Majesties' clothes could be washed.
When the head-servant disappeared, she turned to Legolas. "See! Now you have gotten me into trouble!"
"Oh, do not worry about Minar. She knows there is nothing she can do when I am with you," he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek.
"Yes, but what about when you are not with me? Minar does not care if I am with the Prince of Mirkwood or Eru himself. I am still a servant."
"A beautiful servant," he whispered in her ear.
Le'ariel rolled her eyes. "Legolas, I agreed to allow others to know we are openly seeing each other but just because the others know this, I do not want to be treated differently or expect certain privileges. I want to be able to go about my days and accomplish my chores without an elf or even Minar—if possible—to be afraid that I may tell the prince something that will get them into trouble if they were to say or do something offensive towards me. I can still take care of myself I will have you know."
"I know you can, Le'ariel, but you will have to expect that from elves that may not understand your wishes—especially those who do not know you as well as your friends, some of the other servants, the guards, even my parents."
Averting her eyes away, she looked at the ground. "Umm...yes, about your parents..."
Legolas held her hands. "I know you are not worrying about what they think. A female elf that has made it clear that she does not care about what others think of her."
"Your parents are different, Legolas. They are the King and Queen of Mirkwood who could have me banished with a single look." The prince laughed. "It is not funny, your Highness."
"I know, I know, my apologies. My parents have always thought highly of you for being the hard worker that you are and all our kin know how much they love your mother. We practically consider her as family for all the centuries of loyal servitude she has done for us and you as her daughter...well...you are practically family as well."
"You make it sound as if I should be your sister, your Highness," Le'ariel muttered.
The elf-prince laughed again. "Well, if you put it that way, then yes, it does sound a bit strange. But, I would rather have you as my beloved than my sister." He pulled her closer to him.
"I would also rather be your beloved than your sister." She placed her arms around his neck.
"Ahem."
They both turned to the intruder carrying a bucket of water.
"Oh, hello...Sirawen," Le'ariel greeted her first.
"Hello, Sirawen."
"Hello, Le'ariel...Prince Legolas. Pardon me for my intrusion but Minar sent me here to help you with the washing."
"Of course she did." Le'ariel gave Legolas a knowing look.
Legolas sighed. "Well, then. I see you have wasted enough time here, Le'ariel. I shall leave you two to your duties."
The chambermaid dropped her jaw at his words and pinched his side before he was able to get away. She knew it hurt from the look on his face, but he merely smiled at the pain and gave her a wink for a goodbye. "That little..."
"What was that about?" Sirawen looked lost.
"Me? Wasting time? When it was him who—oh, never mind..."
They knew Minar sent Sirawen outside to assist Le'ariel just so the prince would go away and leave her alone. For the past few days she fell behind on her chores because of Legolas always wanting to spend so much time with her. Le'ariel telling him if he wanted to spend the day with her, he would have to help her with her chores, which he didn't seem to mind. Most of the time, however, instead of helping her, they ended up playing around with Minar just around the corner ready to remind her to keep to her task.
"Minar told me to tell you that I will be helping you with your chores for a while."
Why I am not surprised? "Understandable. I am sure she has good reason to."
"Well, you should know why, Le'ariel."
"Yes, yes, I know." After she helped Sirawen place the bucket of water she held with the rest of the other buckets by the river, they both sat down for a while. "I love spending time with Legolas but his company is so distracting."
"Yes, I can tell." Sirawen poked her arm.
Le'ariel smiled sheepishly. "Things these past few weeks have been so unreal for me."
"Unreal for you? What about us? I was in utter shock with half the kingdom when you told me about you and Legolas finally an item. A lot of us thought it would be Adanion."
"Adanion...yes, well..." she looked off in the distance.
"Oh, I am sorry, Le'ariel. I did not mean to bring him up."
"No, it is quite all right...I am over it. It happened and cannot be erased. The only thing I can do now is accept it and move on."
Her friend showed her a comforting smile. "Exactly! And with a handsome elf that seems to care for you greatly, that should not be so hard."
"I suppose you are right."
I I I
"Well, well, fancy meeting you here."
"Yes, I do like to make appearances now and again. Keep up the moral, that sort of thing."
"Ah...moral...I see. And why today out of all the other days? Have you been forbidden from seeing your lady friend?"
"Something like that."
Keldir smiled. "Let me guess…Minar?"
Legolas nodded with a frown. He already visited the archery range earlier that morning and had nothing else to do but bug Le'ariel. Now that he can't do that, he decided to see how Keldir's patrol was doing.
"Have her banished."
"I should...if I could. You know as well as I do that all banishments must go through the king first. A loop hole to that decree would be nice."
"Maybe it was for the best?"
"Yes, you are probably right."
"But?"
"But now that I no longer have to hide my feelings for her, it makes it difficult to not want to be with her all the time...to hold her...to just be free and do what we want."
"You are aware that she is servant, yes?"
"Really? I had no idea," the elf-prince replied sarcastically. "I know she is and that makes no difference to me."
"Good. But, you must remember that everyone in this kingdom has a duty they must fulfill each day. Mine is keeping our warriors in line and help patrol the borders. Your father's duty is to the kingdom. Minar's is overseeing the servants, Dalorien overseeing the cooks and then there is Le'ariel."
"And what about her?" Legolas raised an eyebrow.
Keldir paused for a moment. "Well, you should already know that by now after all the time you have spent with her." The captain placed a hand on his shoulder and rode off to check the eastern part of their borders. "I will see you later, prince."
Legolas stayed where he was to ponder on the captain's words. And what is my duty?
I I I
"What brings you here, my dear?"
"Nothing. I thought I would go for a stroll."
"You have not strolled in my garden for decades, Legolas. And when you do, it is only when your mind is troubled."
"It appears you know me very well, mother." He softly laughed at his mother's observation.
She smiled and placed her arms around his. The queen was used him saying that to her. "Of course...I am your mother. It is not Le'ariel that bothers you, is it? You know your father and I are happy for you."
"No, it is not that or not entirely anyway."
Keldir's words still stuck in his mind. With all the changes the past few decades have brought to their kingdom and to him personally, there was a lot Legolas hadn't realized before or cared to acknowledge as he should have. He thought about Le'ariel and their new relationship they both were still adjusting to.
If she is to be the one—which Thranduil's son wasn't entirely certain about yet—he needed to make sure he provided well for her and his kin if he were to be king someday. Le'ariel's proven herself enough as a strong individual, able to stand at his side regardless of her station, but what about him? What did he have to offer?
"What is the matter, Legolas? You seem to be buried in your thoughts?"
"Nothing, mother." Legolas kissed her on the cheek, "I will see you later at supper with father." He left his mother confused by his actions. Queen Terulien hoped he would find the answers to whatever was troubling him in the near future and continued on her way.