"The rain stopped" Adonnenniel said in the silence. "And night has already cloaked the sky"
"I suppose"
"It was really beautiful here"
"I knew you would like it" Legolas petted her soft brown waves of hair. "I always felt like the rain and thunder reminds me of the ocean waves"
"It actually sounds very close to it" Adonnenniel picked her head up to look at Legolas. "You were not that far off"
"I was hoping that I wasn't imagining" Legolas smiled to her.
"Come on" Adonnenniel got up from between Legolas' legs and took his hand. "Before your father gets worried. Or realizes that we spent the whole day just staring out at the rain"
"If you insist" Legolas got up from his spot of the ground.
"Can you do something for me?"
"Anything"
"Do not take too long on your journey" Adonnenniel mounted up onto her mare.
Legolas looked to her and then slowly nodded, "I will try"
"And be careful" Adonnenniel said to him as they trotted their horses in sync together. "We do not know what you are up against"
"Just as long as you promise to stay out of Hûredhiel's grasp" Legolas replied back.
"That cannot be promised" Adonnenniel shook her head.
"Adonnenniel" Legolas looked over to her.
"You know what she will do to me, Legolas" Adonnenniel told her betrothed Prince. "She will eat me alive. No one will be there to protect me"
Adonnenniel looked up to see lanterns guiding their way back to the Kingdom of Mirkwood. With each trot she felt on her horse, she wished that she could go back with Legolas and stay in the hollow tree. She felt childish after that she did to Hûredhiel but she had to stand her ground and not let that older woman treat her like a child. Now it must've cost her any chance of peace if there really was any.
"I just don't know if I can be strong around her knowing that I won't have you to talk to" Adonnenniel said honestly. "I am in a foreign place, Legolas. I am not the headstrong Elf that everyone thinks of me to be. I will be a weak little creature without you or your father here to protect me"
"Don't. You are a lot stronger than you think" Legolas told her.
"Only around you" Adonnenniel found herself saying. "She is just so vicious. Think of what she could do to me? She can make me pack my bags and run back to my home! Not that I would want to. But she is so cunning that it scares me. Her mind game has got me feeling worn out for hours. She can easily turn a good day full of darkness. I have no family members here that could help me. I always relied on people to stick up for me. I never got anything done on my own. I am not fit to go up against her. I do not know how the last Queens have done it with having her as a growing pain in their backs. Do you know how your mother got that adviser to trust her? Not that it will help or anything now. My race is apparently damned for. Being called a sea rat would not have been a good choice if she was in my borders. Why didn't she come to the betrothal ceremony? I would've loved to see her say that name in front of my sister"
Legolas did something that not most Elven Men have done and never got the hint. He let her rant, something that she really wanted to do and not want to be given advice. The couple both entered the stable and gave their reins over to the stable boys. Adonnenniel sighed and followed Legolas out of the stable and into the main room.
"See how much I need you?" Adonnenniel asked as she linked her arms around his arm.
"Everything will be alright! Trust me" Legolas said the next morning.
"Easy for you to say, Legolas"
"Not exactly"
"You get to go out and hunt those mysterious creatures" Adonnenniel pointed out.
"With my future counsel. Let me tell you that they are not too fond with me either" Legolas hinted.
"How bad can that be? You grew up with them?" Adonnenniel asked.
"Not really. Not after what I want to do after I am King" Legolas slowly started to pack as he continued to talk.
"You never told me what you wanted to do once you were King. What did you have in mind?" Adonnenniel sat down next to Legolas' pack. "It can't be that bad, Legolas"
"I want to move my people to Ithilien"
"Why?" Adonnenniel asked. "Ithilien is in the realm of the Men? Why do you want to move over there?"
"The forest is nearly destroyed from the war that savaged those lands" Legolas looked to her.
"And your people don't agree? How can you make a living out of a nearly destroyed land?" Adonnenniel asked. "What does your counsel say?"
"That I am only trying to move there to be closer to Gimli" Legolas quoted.
"I thought that they forgave the Dwarves" Adonnenniel said. "I should've known actually. If they can't forgive their own race than how can they forgive the Dwarves? Forgive me. I realized too late"
"Realized what?" Legolas asked her.
Adonnenniel was about to speak up when there was a knock on the door. She looked over to see Hûredhiel opened the door and was only looking to Legolas. He looked down at Adonnenniel who seemed like a small Elfling to him now that the Elder Elf was in the room. He gently lifted up his hand and caressed her cheek.
"I did not realize my ignorance of the Dwarves" Adonnenniel spoke up.
"I understand" Legolas smiled. "Thank you"
"Aren't they expecting you?" Adonnenniel asked.
"I will go in a little while" Legolas said as he stared intensely into her eyes.
"Okay" Adonnenniel smiled back. "Come back soon. I will be waiting for you"
"I will be careful" Legolas told her.
"I know you will" Adonnenniel said. "If you survived the war of the Ring then I shall have no worries. You will come back sooner than expected. We will be crowned King and Queen in a couple of years. By then we will be learning the one thing that everyone needs to learn: Change. Or else they will suffer in the past. Like how most people are. And when the people are ready, we will move. We will heal the savaged land of Ithilien and make that our new home. Next to the Glittering Caves where I believe to have heard that Dwarves now reside. It will be wonderful to have an alliance with them like the old days. I'm sure Hûredhiel was as old enough to remember it. She should remember how long the peace lasted. And that is where our goal is headed. That is why I will wait for you to return"
Legolas gave her a smile as they both noticed Hûredhiel shifting uncomfortably by the door of their room. Adonnenniel got up and looked closely into Legolas' blue eyes, almost like as if it was the sea itself. He brought his hand up and slowly stroked her hair from the scalp all the way down to the tips. She gave him a bright smile as she showed to him that she will be just fine without him until he returns.
