Title: Until We Reach Valinor

Chapter 12: Bound By Duty

NOTE: This story is sequel to "A Teacher's Duty" and you'll have to read that one first to understand this. Also, this story does not contain slash, and it is not a romance, despite what the first chapter might suggest.

SPECIAL THANKS to Orlando's Sweetheart for helping me pick the name of Legolas's bride-to-be as well as the title of this story.

That said, on with the chapter.

…

They stepped into a dark corridor, lit only by some small torches on the left and right, and even these were few and far between. The small fires caused large shadows to brood ominously on the stone walls. It reminded Legolas of a cave. He suppressed a shudder; he could not imagine how anyone could have grown up here. His father must have been completely crazy to have put an infant in a place like this and forgotten about her for the rest of his life.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, she led him into a room. It was a parlor of some sort, and to his relief, it was much more cheerful than the corridor. There was a fire roaring in the furnace, and bright colored rugs on the floor. A few chairs surrounding a small table were placed near the fire, as well as a big couch. The chairs were positioned such that all of them would receive equal warmth from the fire.

Alanna turned to Legolas suddenly, startling him, "I'm sorry," She apologized, "I'm the clumsiest She-Elf that ever lived," For some inane reason, she began to laugh, and as her face was illuminated by the fire, Legolas could see it clearly for the first time. He had not had many expectations, but her plump frame, slightly chubby cheeks, soft brown eyes, and slightly flattened nose seemed to suit her, even if none of her features was exactly breathtaking to look at. But when they were crinkled like that in laughter, he admitted grudgingly to himself, that she wasn't unpleasant to look at.

His scrutiny of her was interrupted by her laughter, which was growing in volume. In fact, she was holding her sides, and tears were pouring down her cheeks. He looked at her in alarm. Why on earth was she laughing, he wondered. What in the world was there to laugh about?

"Are you well?" He asked her, getting increasingly alarmed when she did not stop laughing. Perhaps living alone for so long had addled her brains.

"Yes, yes, of course I am," She said, making an effort to catch her breath. "Just- don't you think it's funny?"

"Don't I think what is funny?"

"Our meeting," She said, holding her sides and groaning, "I don't think I'll ever forget it."

I don't think I'll ever forget it either, Legolas thought dryly. Aloud, he said, "I will agree that it was quite memorable as far as meetings go."

That caused her to laugh even more, "At least you have a sense of humor," She said, "Though you don't laugh very much. But there are compensations," She grinned wickedly, "You're very handsome. I'll almost be sorry to see you leave; you are one of the nice ones. Handsome, not pompous, not arrogant, and you have a sense of humor, too." Legolas privately disagreed with her on that count, as he could not see anything remotely funny about the situation.

"It will almost be a pity," she continued. His brow furrowed, and she explained, "To see you leave. It will almost be a pity."

"What makes you so sure I'm going to be leaving?" He asked, slightly unnerved by her matter-of-fact manner.

She scoffed at him, "As if you'd agree to marry me."

"Er…" He did not know what he was supposed to say to that. Did she expect him to compliment her appearance? He was so new to this; he had no idea what he was supposed to say. She solved the problem for him, by slapping her head, violently.

"Oh, Valar! I'm such a scatterbrain!" She looked at him, laughing, "I beg your pardon, Leg- I mean My Lord, I'm afraid I make the world's worst hostess. It was completely thoughtless of me to leave you standing there like that. I'll show you to your room, so you can change out of your wet clothes. Oh, and I'm awfully sorry about tripping like that," She added over her shoulder, as she stepped back out into the dark corridor, "Funny or not, I should have known better than to wear this." She indicated her dress with a slightly rueful expression. "Just last month, it caused poor what's-his-name quite a bit of grief." She paused, "I'm bad at names as well."

"It's…don't trouble yourself," Legolas replied, feeling a little overwhelmed by this- was it an apology?- a confidence? "And you can call me Legolas." He added as an afterthought, as he remembered how she had almost called him that, and then corrected herself.

"Better and better!" She exclaimed, startling him yet again. He frowned, wondering how often this was going to happen, "I'm glad you consider us to be equals," She explained at his expression, "Because even if we don't get married, we are still two individuals coming together to discuss it. And that, in my opinion, makes us equals. Don't you agree?"

He hadn't thought of it that way, having assumed right from the start that she was indeed his equal. However, he was glad to know that she too believed what he did, when it came to equality among men and women. It was a relief.

"Yes, I do agree," he replied with more feeling than he had intended. He frowned as she raised her eyebrows. He had sounded slightly irate, when all he had wanted was to convey his whole-hearted agreement. He sighed. Why was just expressing a sentiment to this woman so difficult?

"Well," She said, stopping suddenly by a wooden door and almost causing Legolas to walk into her, "This is where you'll be sleeping tonight. "You have a change of clothes, don't you?"

"Yes, thank you," he said.

"Then get changed, and- you'll be able to find you're way back to the parlor, won't you?"

"Yes, of course," He said, frowning. "Why would you think that I wouldn't?"

She blushed slightly. "It's stupid of me, I know, but I always get lost wherever I go. And that's saying something, considering I haven't stepped out of this palace in the longest time. You see, I don't really come to this side very often; it's far too dark and lonely. My nurse insisted I at least pretend that my bedroom was here."

"There doesn't seem to be much point, now, does there?" Legolas asked, rhetorically.

"You need to be warned of my shortcomings if you're going to marry me," She replied, "I have an awful sense of direction. I get lost wherever I go." She laughed lightly. "In fact, I had one of the servants take me around and familiarize me with everything this morning so I wouldn't embarrass myself in front of you and lose my way!"

"Right. Well…I won't get lost," He said, torn between amusement and disbelief. How could someone get lost in their own house?

"No. Of course you won't," She said absently, "Sometimes I forget that Elves are normally perfect in every respect. I'm just an exception." Was she joking, Legolas wondered? Somehow, he could never tell.

"Well, you go to the parlor after you finish changing," She continued, as if she had made a perfectly ordinary observation, "And then I'll meet you there shortly."

"Of course," he said. "Thank you for showing me the room."

"You're welcome," she said, turning to leave, her dress rustling as she did so.

…

Legolas did not know how long he had waited when Alanna hustled into the parlor, looking much more comfortable in simple evening gown.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "It took ages to get out of that dress. Don't even remember how I got it on to begin with. And I don't want to," She added as an afterthought, as she sat down, "And I lost my way. Again," Legolas did not respond, and she looked at him in surprise, "You don't talk very much, do you?"

"I'm sorry if it offends you," he replied, somewhat testily.

"Oh, it doesn't offend me," she replied, apparently not noticing his tone, "It's a relief, to be honest. I hate it when Elves come here and tell me how beautiful I am, and things of that sort when I know it isn't true and they don't mean it."

"Is there something in particular you want to say?" Legolas asked, changing the subject pointedly. He didn't know what to say when she described herself and her feelings so matter-of-factly, and she had been doing it very often over the evening, he noticed. "Because," he continued, "I have to say something myself."

"Do you? Well it can't be worse then what I say," She said, her expression becoming serious, "There's something you must know about me before we say a word about marriage." She took a deep breath, "And I need you to promise me not to fly into a rage, or…"

"I wouldn't fly into a rage," He said, though he was getting alarmed. Her secret had caused previous suitors to fly into rages?

"No, you don't seem the kind of person who would," She said, "But you have to understand. This might be something of a shock."

Legolas didn't respond, just waiting for her to speak, and trying to suppress his curiosity.

"If I am to marry you, it can only be on one condition," She said. He looked at her in surprise, and she sighed.

"About thousand years ago, an Elf wandered onto these grounds searching for game. As the grounds are quite extensive, he did not know he had wandered into somebody's home until I; quite literally, walked into him." She laughed slightly, but the laugh was tinged with sadness, "He was a little winded, but more than that, he was surprised to see me, a woman, unescorted in the wilderness. I told him I lived her, and he asked questions, and then by and by, the I told him everything. Something about him compelled me to do so. And then I invited him into my home."

She paused, and Legolas wondered where this story was going.

"Before I met him, I was a…a horrible person." She shuddered slightly at the memory of what she had been, "I had lived in the lap of luxury all my life, and I had never interacted with anyone except for my nurses and servants. He helped me. I realized how spoilt I was, and for the first time, I realized how lonely I was. He would come to visit me everyday, and we grew to be good friends. He saved me from my loneliness and rescued me from becoming…becoming a monster. And then, slowly, our friendship turned to…" She looked at him, half frightened, half defiant.

"Love?" Legolas finished for her, guessing it by the expression on her face.

"That's right."

There was a tense silence, and then Legolas asked slowly, "If you love another, why didn't you tell my father in the first place? Why are you consenting to see all these suitors? I assure you, he will not mind who you marry, as long as you do marry. He will keep you well-provided for."

"If only it were that simple," She said, her eyes flashing with pain, "Rilian, the one I loved, is dead now. He died just before we were going to announce our engagement in a skirmish with some orcs who had strayed in his path while he was hunting. He killed all of them, and managed to make it back to my house before he died. He's been dead for centuries now."

Legolas glanced at her. She seemed to be fighting tears. "I'm very sorry," He said softly, not knowing what else to say, and wishing he didn't sound quite so detached.

"Thank you," She said sadly, "But that's not the reason I'm telling you this. I'm telling you this because I need you to understand something. I need you to understand that should you marry me, I will never, ever look at you in a romantic light. My heart will always be Rilian's. And when we do eventually sail..." She looked him straight in the eye, "I will want to sever all ties. Because in Valinor, Rilian is awaiting me. And I will not, I cannot, disappoint him."

There was a pregnant silence. Then, Legolas asked, "Why don't you…sail right now? Why do you want to marry first?"

"I have a duty to your mother, and mine. My mother's dying wish was to her maid and midwife, who became my nurse upon her bidding. She made her promise to take care of me, to bring me up, to find me a husband, and make me happy. And your mother, Caladel, made King Thrandruil promise the same thing, albeit in fewer words. I cannot make King Thranduil and my nurse, especially my nurse, break their words. If I do not marry, I will not be able to sail without breaking their words. And if I cannot sail, I'll never be able to see Rilian again. Not to mention the calling of the ocean which all of us experience."

There was another pause. Legolas wondered what he should say. He was very relieved that he would not have to stay with her for the rest of his life, because after meeting her, the prospect of marriage had become so terrifyingly real, that he had been on the verge of panic at the thought of having to live in wedlock with a complete stranger until the end of eternity.

"You have been honest with me." He said finally, feeling as though he owed her something for that. "And I will be honest with you as well. I owe you that much. I am very relieved about what you have told me."

"Thank you, you truly know how to flatter a woman," She said with a straight face.

He blushed. "I didn't mean…" He stammered, and she laughed heartily again.

"I was just joking," She said, eyes sparkling with amusement, "Please tell me why you are so 'completely reilieved.'"

He smiled somewhat nervously, and ploughed ahead bravely, though mentally kicking himself for his blunder, "My freedom as a bachelor means everything to me. I have never loved anyone in that way, and suspect I can't, or don't know how to. I have always shuddered at the idea of wedlock before now." He paused, "Am I being too frank for you?"

"No, no you're not," Alanna said, "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable by laughing just now." She smiled, "I too am relieved that you did not over-react to my revelation. But, if you don't mind my asking, why do you want to marry me if you dislike the idea of marriage so much?"

"My father wishes to sail," He said, "You cannot repeat this to anyone before it becomes official, but my father wants to crown me as King within the next few months, and then he will sail. By the law of Mirkwood, I must marry before I become King, so that my line is secured."

"Forgive me for being presumptuous, but you do not seem to be the kind of person who would consent to marriage only because your father wanted to sail."

"My father, Alanna, is the King of Mirkwood."

"And you are its Prince and its sole heir, and his son, and from what I've heard you don't heed anyone's orders, King or no King, unless you want o. There is more to why you are consenting to ascending the throne. Isn't there?"

"Yes, but I can't…." He hesitated. He realized that if he could trust seventy-two teenagers about the secret concerning Ivana, he should be able to trust his future wife, but he knew could not bring himself to divulge anything to her, not when he did not know her at all.

"I respect that," She said, after searching his face. "It's something political, is it not?"

"How did you…?"

"Because I know you would have told me if you could have. You want to be as honest with me as I was with you. But I know now that this marriage will be as much a matter of duty for you as for me. And for now, that is enough. When you learn to trust me, you can tell me the rest."

"So- we are getting married, then?" Legolas asked. Never in a million years would he have thought he was going to propose to a woman like this. Instead of on his knees and with a ring, asking 'Will you marry me?' he was asking matter-of-factly, 'So- we are getting married, then?' He waited with bated breath

"Yes," She said after a long moment, "We are." She paused, sighing audibly. "We'll have to do something about those marriage vows though."

"What-?"

"You know. 'Until eternity fades…' That won't be exactly right for us, now, will it? Because we won't be married until eternity fades. Just…until we reach Valinor. So it would be wrong to promise each other publicly that we were going to be married forever."

"Er…I could speak to my father about that, but I don't know if that's a good idea. I don't think we'd be allowed to change the wording of the vows. Eyebrows will be raised…and I don't particularly want ada to know that that's going to be the nature of the agreement. He's already guilty enough about me marrying for his sake, as it is."

"I don't want to make a false promise," She insisted.

He sighed, "Well, we won't lie. We can cross our fingers behind our backs. Or-"

She snorted. "Cross our fingers behind our back? How old are we, Legolas?"

"I was going to say," Legolas said through gritted teeth, "We could make the promise right now, that we would only be married until we sailed. Then it wouldn't matter so much what we promised each other publicly. Especially if we crossed our fingers behind our backs,"

He smiled grudgingly at the expression on her face as she realized she had a point. The notion really was childish. "It comes from teaching teenagers," He said by way of explanation.

"Ah, yes, you teach teenagers archery, don't you?" She said, "I had forgotten. Do you…enjoy it?"

"Yes," He replied honestly, "Even though I hated it at first. But children…they grow on you once you get used to them."

"I can't imagine."

"In regards to the subject of children," Legolas said after a pause, as something suddenly struck him, "I have to say this now, to avoid misunderstandings later. I cannot sail away with you to Valinor without providing Greenwood with an heir."

"I know," She sighed, "Believe me when I say that it will be as hard for me as it will be for you. Harder," She added as an afterthought, "As I will be the one bearing the child." She shuddered.

"You would…" Legolas paused, "You would be willing to bear my child? Even when…?"

"I would do anything for Rilian," She said with a sigh, "Even this. Your duty binds you to Greenwood. I understand that your duty to me and my wishes will always come second next to it. And as I'm going to be the Queen soon, I have to accept it. You are probably the only person who will enter into wedlock with me on these conditions, the only person who will agree to this, because you, like me, are bound by duty. I cannot pass this by, or I may never get another chance to be with the one I love. And you don't know what that feels like."

"Very well," Legolas said after a long silence. "I brought a ring. Do you want me to…?"

"No, just give it to me, I'll wear it," She said hurriedly, "Since this is between us, no one needs to know that you didn't get down on your knees and…" Her voice trailed off as he handed her the box.

She opened it, and gasped. "It's beautiful," She said, awed.

"It's mithril. It belonged to my mother," He replied.

"I am honored." She hesitated for a moment.

"As is the custom, you should wear it on your middle finger until we are married, and then after that on your ring finger," He said, aware that she probably already knew this from her engagement with Rilian, but still needing to fill the silence.

She fingered the ring uncertainly, and then slowly, but surely slipped it onto her middle finger. She looked at it, and then looked at him. In that moment, they both stared each other, letting it sink in. It was final now, and there would be no turning back. They were engaged to be married.

…

TBC…

Hmm. So, that would have cleared up a couple of things, like why I said the story isn't a romance, and now you know what the title means, too. What did you think of Ivana? Weird? Horrible? Has an awful sense of humor? Is terrible at navigation?

I actually surprised myself by updating this quickly, all though I shouldn't have been. I always get flashes of inspiration when I'm studying for/doing exams.

In fact, this story is the product of the one-month study leave and the one-month board exam that followed it in tenth grade, over a year ago. I always feel like writing when I'm supposed to be studying (which is why I'm here now). However, don't expect any updates from me till after June 7th (although I may just surprise myself, and you, again) because that's when my boards will end.

As for me, yesterday's Literature exam went fairly well, though today's Business Studies paper was a disappointment. However, that is not altogether surprising, as there was a huge rush to finish portions since we were actually supposed to give the exam in November, and this May thing was unplanned. Luckily, I can easily re-take the exam in November, because the AS part will be coming in A2 as well, so it won't be any extra effort. :D

Now that I've finished boring you with this story of my life (which you were probably NOT interested in), I will request you to PLEASE REVIEW as well as thank my anonymous reviewer Isilwen for her words of wisdom. And I'm not being sarcastic, just brain-dead from the sleep deficits. Wish me luck for my Psychology exam on Thursday! See you guys, hopefully soon!