"Laina," Legolas managed to croak, his eyes wide open but his pale, cracked lips refusing to part more than necessary to say my name. He tried to smile.

"Shh," I replied, placing one rather shaky hand on his forehead and letting it slide through his golden hair, which had been washed since he had reached the hospital wing. Legolas was looking up at me with something in his brown eyes that I had never seen before, and I tried hard to understand it but nothing came to me. I merely stood beside his bed, stroking his hair and watching him stare at me with that look in his eye. It had been a very pleasant moment until someone interrupted.

"Legolas!" a breathy voice from behind me said. From the moment that disgustingly sweet voice reached my ear I went rigid from the ear down. I did not turn. I did not need to. "I came as soon as I heard," the voice said, and I felt someone glide into standing position beside me. Legolas' eyes hardened as he looked at her. I had forgiven Malian, but I would never forgive her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked through gritted teeth, still refusing to look at Kaethe. I heard her breath catch in her throat as she examined Legolas. She had ignored my question.

"Oh Legolas, are you alright? I was so worried!" Kaethe exclaimed. The only thing stopping me from turning and punching her in the face was the look Legolas was giving her now. Was I out of my mind or was color slowly returning to his lips? I saw a glimmer in his eyes and they were—they were rather soft, scanning Kaethe in a way inappropriate for someone who had been betrayed by her.

"I'll ask you this one more time," I managed without raising my voice. "What…are you doing here?" With resolute self-control, I turned my head to look at her. To my surprise, her appearance made her seem rather disheveled, but I refused to believe she was in the least bit worried about Legolas at all. Kaethe's eyes widened in fear as I stared at her, revolted. "Kaethe, what in Varda's name are you doing here?" I demanded, losing control of my voice, which had become shaky and high-pitched as I asked the question again.

"I…I told you…I was worried about him," Kaethe stuttered, turning her hesitant gaze from me back to Legolas. Her eyes relaxed as she looked at him and smiled slightly. "I do care about him, you know," she said under her breath. Now I was sure I was going to hit her.

"You care about him? Oh, no, anyone would be able to tell how much you care about him, about his feelings, about…about…you don't care or you wouldn't have done that to him!" I had definitely lost control of my temper. "You may as well have stuck an arrow in the middle of his chest, you loathsome, deceiving, evil little wench!" I was screaming. "You may as well have killed him—" I stopped my tirade and fully intended on breaking her nose when a weak hand caught my wrist, and I stopped to look down at it skeptically. It was Legolas. He was staring up at me with a rather pleading expression in his eyes.

"Laina, don't," he nearly begged, glancing at Kaethe, who was cowering closer to his bed.

"Get away from him," I growled. She seemed to try to obey, but Legolas interrupted her movement.

"No!" he insisted, giving Kaethe a rather panicked look. My mouth dropped incredulously at Legolas. "Please stay," he whispered to Kaethe, who nodded and placed one hand on his pale cheek. I could have killed both of them. I jerked my wrist out of Legolas' grasp, which proved to be much easier than I had expected. I looked from Kaethe to Legolas and back, stunned. They were not looking at me. I swallowed hard before turning and stalking out of the hospital wing, determined to find Malian.

-------

"No offense, Mal, but what in Arda told her it would be a good idea to go see Legolas? Has she completely lost her mind?" I had just stormed into Malian's room, and he was looking up at me from the bowl beneath him. From the looks of it, he had been washing the dirt off his face before I barged in.

"Who? What?" Malian asked, putting down the towel in his hand. Did I really have to spoon-feed him information?

"Your wife is currently at Legolas' bedside, fawning over him in all her idiocy," I retorted. Malian raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Yes, that's exactly what I thought," I added, crossing my arms in a huff.

"I highly doubt she's fawning," Malian replied after a moment, coming over to me and slinging one arm around my shoulders.

"Oh, and has she proven trustworthy over the years?" I asked. "I seem to recall her being rather vicious with another's heart a few years ago, don't you?"

"Yes," Malian answered to quickly. "But she married me, and I do trust her. But, let's go see, shall we?" he asked, escorting me to the hospital wing.

Legolas and Kaethe were as I left them, except now Kaethe had brought up a chair and was holding one of Legolas' hands. I looked at Malian as if to say, "See?" but he did not respond. He merely walked up to Kaethe and put one hand on her shoulder, startling her and Legolas into breaking their gaze. She removed her hand rapidly.

"I see you've regained consciousness," Malian said to Legolas nonchalantly, as if his wife had not just been staring fixedly into her ex-fiancé's eyes. I watched Legolas nod angrily. He had not yet forgiven Malian, and I had the feeling he never would. Despite Malian's role in the patrol over the past few years, Legolas and Malian still shared a rather jaw-clenched relationship, and I did not blame Legolas for wishing missing limbs upon Malian every time his back was turned. I could only imagine how Legolas felt, watching Malian's control over Kaethe and her willing suspension of emotion toward Legolas. "Well, Prince Legolas, I do hope my wife has given you her fondest sentiments," Malian's voice was drawling, and his emphasis on the word 'fondest' was the most unpleasant pleasantry of all.

"Darling, I was just—" Kaethe began, but Malian cut her off with a rather threatening gleam in his darkening blues.

"We'll talk about it later, sweetheart," Malian agreed pleasantly, betraying the anger in his eyes. "Right now I need a word with the Prince. I'll meet you in our room," Malian insisted. Kaethe bowed her head.

"Yes, m'lord," she answered obediently before turning and walking in my direction. I was standing near the door, my arms still crossed. I narrowed my eyes at her as she attempted to walk past. Well, the moment was right.

"Laina!" Malian yelled at me, turning as Kaethe sank to the floor with a scream, holding her bloody nose in her hands. "Damn it, Laina," Malian said, shaking his head. I could not see Legolas' expression from where I stood, wringing my hand with pleasure. As I walked toward Legolas' bed, I heard Malian whisper something ominously.

"Stay away from my wife, Leaf," Malian threatened. "She was never yours." With that, Malian turned his head sharply, letting his long, dark hair flow behind him as he walked past me without looking at me, picked Kaethe off the ground roughly, and led her to their room. I smiled after them.

"I'm going to kill him," Legolas managed, his voice cracked.

"And I'm going to kill her, so they can be dead together, and then we're just giving them what they want, aren't we?" I asked sarcastically.

"Why did you bring him here?" Legolas whispered angrily.

"To bring you back to your senses, Leaf. She does not love you," I began, and Legolas held up his hand weakly to silence me, but I would not be silenced. "No!" I nearly screamed at him. "She does not love you, Leaf! She may care whether you live or die, but that does not mean she loves you! I care whether Féoras lives or dies, but I am not in love with him! She has never loved you, hasn't she made that clear?" I was not sparing Legolas' feelings anymore. "I thought you had gotten that through your thick skull, Greenleaf, but you watch her when she walks by. You yearn for her but she does not notice you, not until you're upon what could have been your deathbed does she even acknowledge your continuing existence. She may care, but she does not love, she never has, and she never, ever will. She loves Malian. I can see it in her eyes when they talk. I can see it in her body language when they kiss. Yes, when they're being disgusting and canoodling around the halls, in front of people, yes, I see it, and I know you do too. Do not deny her love, Leaf. Not the love she wants. Deny her your love, because she does not want it and she does not deserve it," I finished, turning on my heel and stalking out of the hospital wing for the second time that day.

"Where are you going?" Legolas' cracked voice called after me, physical and emotional pain in his voice. He clearly did not want to be left alone with his thoughts, but he had to be. He had to understand.

"I'm on patrol," I yelled back shortly, not turning to look as Legolas called my name after me.