The Gazebo

It was a long day, longer than Legolas imagined it to be. Tomorrow was the wedding and everyone scrambled to get all the final touches together. He hadn't seen Reylien today because she was busy with making sure everything looked perfect for their big day.

The elf-prince allowed her to take on the rest of the preparations so that he had time to think to himself. She didn't mind him making himself scares since her day was filled with things to do.

Thinking upon Le'ariel, she still looked beautiful. She was the same elf but, nonetheless, something was different about her. The vision of her that Legolas held onto for so long in his memories didn't do justice to her actual appearance when she arrived. He missed her. More now than ever and she was right there in his kingdom. Not able to touch her or feel her drove him insane! His desire for her over-powered all the agony he suffered while she was away. But, it was too late.

He was due to be married tomorrow.

Legolas let his body fall forward onto his bed. He buried his face in his sheets and grabbed them tightly in his hands, silently screaming out his frustrations. He didn't know how much longer he could keep up this charade of his. Le'ariel's scent that he knew so well still lingered in the air around him. Having her so close to him was a lot harder than he originally thought it would be. Luckily, Reylien hadn't been around during their encounters.

Finding out that Adamar wasn't Le'ariel's child also gave the elf-prince some comfort. The thought of Adamar being his son crossed Legolas's mind a few times and he would have welcomed and cared for the elf-child if he did belong to his cousin.

Marriage barely entered Legolas's mind and now here he was, thinking of having children of his own someday. He scoffed at himself for the way he viewed his life was so easily changing...all because of the chambermaid. Still, after all these years, she had the same effect on him.

Reylien was a sweet elf and he didn't want to hurt her. But, his first love was in his midst. Does he give his and Reylien's love the opportunity to blossom or does he go after the one his heart still truly desired?

Legolas continued to debate the question repeatedly in his mind, ever since the Rivendell elves arrived. His body was still lying comfortably on his bed as he thought about what might happen.

The prince's mind played different scenarios before him against the wall that he blankly stared at, like a movie, as different outcomes were shown. One scenario showed Reylien devastated to discover that Legolas wasn't going to marry her when he told her that it was Le'ariel who he wanted to marry instead.

In another other scenario, Reylien understood his position and wished them the best of luck. However, Le'ariel became mad at him for betraying Reylien and didn't want do anything with him so she stormed off. Legolas rolled onto his back and rubbed his temples, letting out a long frustrating sigh as both scenarios were flawed.

He sat up at the edge of his bed with his arms resting on his knees and his hands clasped together. The one thing he didn't play out in his head was the life he was supposed to have with Reylien beginning tomorrow afternoon. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach again.

Which biggest mistake was the elf-prince making? Being with Reylien and letting Le'ariel go or vise-versa? Or was whichever choice Legolas decided to make, a mistake at all? Maybe it was just his nerves getting the best of him. Regardless of the outcome tomorrow, he knew someone wasn't going to be entirely happy. Too much thinking finally made Legolas weary. He needed to clear his head somehow and let whatever happened tomorrow happen. His fate was in the hands of the Valar and he prayed to Eru for some sense of peace before then.

The room suddenly grew stifling and he needed some fresh air. It was a little after suppertime, which the elf-prince skipped. Many of the elves were still likely mingling amongst themselves in the Great Hall. This would give the prince the opportunity he needed to be alone outside.

The Great Maze was where he ventured to for solace but it didn't feel like the right place to be at this time. He slowly walked to his mother's garden, letting his fingertips brush lightly against the flowers as they swayed back and forth from his touch. His mind was heavy but no specific thoughts entered it.

Legolas sat near their elven-made pond watching the insects around the lily pads and floating flowers. It seemed so easy for them to go about their business without a care in the world, with no big responsibilities weighing them down. How he wished his life is as easy as theirs.

Off in the distance, he could see the torches lit, giving the guards light on their patrol. Some of the nobles and guests were most likely making their way out of the Underground Kingdom now that they could see in the dark. The prince trekked to another part of the garden to avoid the crowd before they saw him. He wasn't up for socializing and getting trapped in a conversation, which he had no interest for. There was only one place where he knew the elves wouldn't bother him.

His mother's gazebo.

No one was allowed in the gazebo after hours without the queen's permission. Queen Terulien's secluded area was mostly used during the day for special gatherings, with a few exceptions. She usually reprimanded anyone caught there. And, although Legolas was the queen's son, it didn't exclude him from her rule. But, the prince was known to be defiant and didn't care much for rules these days and so he went there anyway. If he was caught, he would deal with it when the punishment came.

The closer Legolas got to the gazebo, the clearer the vision of the figure became. He saw an elf from the entrance with their back to him and because it was dark out, he could only see the outline of their shape. Elves have great vision and could see for miles, but seeing in the dark didn't always work in their favor without light. The Firstborn only saw shadows in the night making their vision the same as the Afterborn when it came to distinguishing things.

The elf sat on the railing facing the surrounding bushes, looking up into the night. Legolas hadn't noticed, but the moon was full tonight with the stars shining brightly. He silently walked up the three steps to the entrance of the wooden structure and stood there without saying a word. The elf quickly turns their head to the side as they felt his presence and glanced at him from the corner of their eye.

"What are you doing here?" the elf asked and turned their back to him again.

"I should ask you the same thing," he replied. Legolas could see the motion of them wiping something from their face. "The queen does not like Elves in her garden this late in the evening."

"Speak for yourself, Prince Legolas, for you are breaking the queen's rules as well."

"Punishment for me is like a daily chore."

The elf spun around to face him. "As it is for me..." Legolas didn't respond. All he could do was stare. "What are you doing here, Legolas? You should be getting ready for tomorrow, not wandering around your mother's garden."

"I wanted to be alone for a while."

"Then I shall leave you...good night." She jumped off the wooden railing and started to walk past him until he suddenly grabbed her arm to stop her. She looked down at his hand then at him, confused. "What are you doing, Legolas? Let go of me."

He gently released her and moved to stand in front of her to block her path so she couldn't leave the gazebo. They stared silently at each other, a disheartened expression on her face. Legolas's features relaxed as she let him touch the tear from her eye that slowly trickled down her cheek. It glistened in the moonlight until he wiped it away.

"Why are you crying?" he whispered.

Le'ariel moved her face away from his hand and shook her head. "Nothing for you to concern yourself with." She tried to walk around him but he just stopped her again. "Please let me go..." she said softly.

"I cannot."

"And why is that?" Le'ariel began to get irritated.

"Tell me first what is wrong?"

"Does it really matter, Legolas?" she clenched her fists and started pacing the small area.

"Yes," he calmly replied.

The female elf stopped pacing and stared at him once more. She looked as if she was debating on what to say to him but then shook her head at his request. "It does not matter as I said."

"It does to me, Le'ariel. Tell me!" Legolas pleaded. She attempted to stomp past him once more but he grabbed both her arms with more force this time and pulled her close.

"Because you are getting married!" she screamed angrily, the tears flowing freely from his demand, as she could no longer contain her emotions. He let his grip loosen letting Le'ariel free from his grasp. Legolas took a step back in shock. "You are getting married..." she repeated more quietly, "and not to me."

"You were the one who left...remember?" the elf-prince managed to say while trying to keep his own emotions at bay. He clenched his jaw and turned his attention to the sky. It was now his turn to avoid her gaze.

"Yes, I know...and I live with that decision every day," she said solemnly. "So many times I wanted to return to you and almost got close...once. I managed to get half way and then turned back. I could not do it...I could not face you knowing how hurt you must have been by my actions."

"Then why did you do it?"

Le'ariel heard the pain in his voice, which broke her heart even more. "I thought about my life many times and my days as a servant and how a servant was all I was going to be for the rest of my life. And honestly, who wants that kind of life? Then you who came into it and completely changed everything."

"You make it sound so bad," Legolas muttered bitterly.

"No, Legolas, I do not mean it like that. You made it better," she replied with sincerity in her voice. "Not just because you were a prince, but because you were a prince and still loved me even though I was just a servant. I was wrong about everything and was very thankful that I was able to get to know the real Prince Legolas my mother kept telling me about. What impressed me the most about you is that you actually took the time to show me. I do not know anyone who was ever that patient with me...not even my mother. And..." she paused for a long moment.

"And...what?" Legolas turned to face her. He wanted them to get everything out in the open tonight and he wasn't going to let her leave until all was said and done. It was the best for the both of them, he thought.

"I was...scared."

"Scared of what, Le'ariel?" Legolas asked, frustrated. "You know I would never hurt you...ever!"

"I know that, Legolas..." Le'ariel tried to fight back more tears, "I was scared that I would never be good enough for you. Scared that I might not be strong enough for you. Scared that...you would eventually find another."

Legolas stride over to her as she began to lightly sob again. He wouldn't let her look away as he cupped her face with both his hands. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs as she sniffled quietly, unaware to the both of them that she had placed her arms around his waist. "Why would you ever think that?" he asked quietly. "No other female elf could ever compare to you. You are beautiful and intelligent. I do not want an elf-maiden who will agree with everything I say and do whatever I ask of them. I have enough elves around me that do that on a daily basis, and not just servants, but the nobles as well. I do not care if you are a servant or...even an Orc."

"An Orc?" she sounded offended. "That is a bit too far."

The prince smiled a little at her reaction. "My point is, I do not care for your status or mine. You strip away our titles and all you have are two elves in love. That is all that should matter, should it not? And I thought we were...happy," he frowned. "I will never find any other elf such as you who is not afraid to yell at me, an elf who can challenge my thinking, my habits, someone I can converse with about anything, laugh with...and know that their love for me is just as strong as mine is for them."

"What about Reylien, Legolas? Do you not find comfort in her with these things?" Le'ariel looked into his eyes for the truth.

Legolas slowly nodded. "On some level, yes. But, there is still a lot we do not know about each other. The bond between Reylien and me is not as strong yet as it is with us and...well, you just know me better. But, that is my fault for not opening up to her as much as I should. And I do not want to hurt Reylien. Honestly, she deserves someone better than me. But, I promised myself that I would try to love her as much as I do you and make her happy. And, I did not expect to see you back in Mirkwood...especially for this occasion. Seeing you again...I do not know if my promise to her will not falter."

Le'ariel stepped back from Legolas and walked to the other side of the gazebo. Again, she looked up at the moon. "It was hard coming back here. But Adanion said it would be good for me, to find out if I were truly over you. That night at the Masquerade Ball—"

"Wait, you were there?" he asked surprised.

"Yes, I was there. I tried to keep my distance so that you would not see me. Elenia let me borrow one of her dresses. I do not really know why I went. Perhaps it was my excuse to see you again. It was somewhat of an odd experience to be there, knowing that you were looking for a bride. I saw you dancing with the elf-maidens and how none of them could hold your attention until Reylien...came to dance with you. You seemed so happy to be with her that I did not want to disturb you. Then, you saw me. I was afraid you had recognized me and I panicked. That is why I ran away from you." She briefly turned to him then back to the sky.

"So...that elf-maiden was you."

"Yes...and it was hard seeing you with another elf like that. But, I am sure you probably thought that I was with Adanion." She turned to him knowingly. "And I do not blame you, the way I stormed off to Rivendell. I knew you did not want me to go for good reasons but I needed to get away from here for a while."

"But, why?" he asked confused. "Were you really that unhappy?"

"It was not that, Legolas. I was very happy with you. I knew we both had our responsibilities and I understood that. We could not see each other as often as we wished we could, but that time apart only made my love grow more for you. However, you as the Prince of Mirkwood, I felt inexperienced with your lifestyle. A servant is who I am, yet I had nobles bowing to me as if I was someone important. It was nerve-wracking feeling this high expectation from others without really knowing our future together. I started to feel how you felt about others relying on you. Adanion's letters made me curious to see what else was out there for me aside from this life of mine. That is why I left."

Legolas took a moment to process her words and gave her a questioning look. "What did you mean about not knowing our future together?"

Le'ariel frowned with a look of disappointment and hurt in her eyes. "Not once, Legolas, did you ever bring up marriage. I knew you were not ready to be married, but I thought that maybe if you loved me enough, you would be. I did not want the overwhelming feeling of our kin expecting me to be your queen, if that role was not meant to be mine. A prince marrying a servant was also unheard of, something very rare. When I found out you and Reylien were to be wed, it crushed me. But I knew she was better suited for you and yes, in time, I believed that you would love her as much as you did me."

"I had to...I—"

"There is no need to explain, Legolas. I was the one who hurt you," Le'ariel, stopped him while wiping more silent tears away. "I just want you to know that my heart has never left you and I regretted every day that passed for leaving your side. It was selfish of me to do so and I know you did what you had to do. I do not blame you. I want you to be happy, Legolas...with Reylien. She is also a good match for you, just give her a chance. I wish you both nothing but happiness." Le'ariel tried to smile to show her sincerity but she quickly made a dash for it before more tears came into view.

Legolas didn't stop her this time. He couldn't bring his body to move as he was frozen in place, her scent blowing in the breeze after her. The prince finally sat himself down and rubbed his temples again with one hand. He was hurting more now than when she was gone. Silently, he allowed his own tears to fall.