Chapter 16

Once again the elves had found a sunbeam to touch them as they sat on a bench hand in hand. As if to prove a point of the difference of elves and men was shown when Arri and Legolas would show affection aside of holding hands. When they would kiss they found somebody clearing their throat loudly at them as to tell this no. Now they sat in the hearth of bright ray from the sun and they both basked in it lovingly. Arri had her legs against his and her head resting on his shoulder with a smile that showed her happiness.

Aine found Legolas and Arri outside talking quietly on a bench and the two seemed very comfortable in her humble opinion. They both raised their heads to take notice of her and smiled as she come closer. Aine could not help but to return the smile, "I had thought we would find peppermint today." She knew Arri would not leave Legolas so quickly and smiled.

"Legolas would hunt today and I shall look then," she stood up smoothing her gown over and happy she was finally dressed as an elf again. "We were going to venture into the village today for breakfast."

Aine nodded understanding quickly, "Giles affects my meals too." Aine smiled touching her arm lightly. "I will speak with Aragorn and Gandalf about a coronation."

Arri looked dismal at the mention but Aine lowered her head meaningfully. "It has to happen and in time we can hopefully find another to take the crown or you might become at home here."

Arri looked at Legolas as both seemed hardly convinced, "I doubt any of us will find peace here."

"Arri the crown must be placed and it shall not wait," Aine was worried about Giles and the wizard's spells. Giles would not expect this so soon and Aine hoped to spoil his plans.

Legolas's own thoughts raced for a solution. He did not want to raise a family here and he knew Arri longed to be around the other elves too, that was where they belonged.

Aine sighed and gave them a sad look understanding their plight all too well but soon her saddened look was replaced with a stern one as she walked away. All of them their fates and destiny and some were greater than others but nevermind what it may be or how great it was their responsibility and duty to see it through, just as Legolas had with the fellowship, she hoped they would both remember this.

Arri felt as if she had been sentenced to death but Legolas squeezed her hand as they walked and her heart skipped as it tended to do when he was close to her.

"We will not be separate," Legolas said quickly hoping it meant they would not have to be kept here. Great hopes were all they seem to have lately but they did have it.

Arri wandered among the people who seemed to watch them with a mixture of fascination and hate. She could not truly hate them but she felt contempt for being forced among them, even to rule them.

A young girl ran up to them so suddenly she caused Legolas to jump back so that he did not tramp on her. The child smiled at him and her mouth dropped when she looked to Arri with huge eyes and her mouth hanging open.

Legolas came down to Eliza's height kneeling along the dirt ground, "What can I do for you?" He gave Eliza a little smile and met Arri's questioning gaze, "this is Eliza."

Arri bent down to her as well and offered her a hand, "I am Arri." She smiled with a little bow of her head.

Eliza looked to Legolas excited, "Is she as soft as you?"

Staring back to him she had a confuse look but a smile played on her lips, "Soft?" Before she knew it Eliza had seized her slender hand in her chubby little digits feeling the difference of texture and she heard the child gasp loudly.

"It's like clouds and you sparkle!" Eliza said but didn't release Arri's locks. She took another hand to compare her skin to the elves then she kept staring between the elves taking in differences from Legolas to Arri.

Legolas covered his grin amused again by the child and reached to her gently to pry her hands from Arri's hair but did not see a 'sparkle'.

Eliza took the elves in slowly, they were both taller than most of the people in her village, more slender by far, with a grace that made them appear to glide and both very blonde. She noticed that he had a bow and arrows on his back and had tights on over a long shirt with soft boots. She was quite taken with Arri's hair and the simple elf gown she wore as she touched the fabric amazed at how it shimmered when she touched it.

"Thatsa pretty dress," Eliza said quietly.

Arri smiled, "Thank you."

Eliza looked back at her own tattered and dark clothing with a frown.

Arri felt for the child wondering why all the people in the village were dressed much lesser than that of Giles and his court. True elves held more important roles and positions than the others but they were all equal when it came to it.

Arri whispered in the child's ear in Elvish and Eliza wrinkled her nose not understanding.

"What did you say?" Eliza stepped back to look at her entire face.

" I said 'perhaps such a good child would like a dress too?'" Arri smiled as the child's eyes opened wider. "but I said it in our language."

"Can I really have a dressy?" Eliza smiled.

Legolas wished he had thought of the gesture but he had been in so many human villages that he had grown used to seeing them and knowing their station by their manner of dress and he had never thought to how the children has suffered. He was proud Arri wanted to erase some of the lines between station and races. He had to admit, even if only to himself, that she would be a good ruler.

Arri nodded standing to her full height as the child stared up at her bewildered. Then with her hand in his they walked away slowly as Eliza began to skip to her awaiting friends but to their amusement they heard the child exclaiming loudly, "She is as soft as he is."

Legolas found the clearing to the woods and without the cluster of people they both felt refreshed in the forest.

Breathing in the scent of the trees he had to admit it was not the same as home but a far cry from the castle made of stones and looked at the ground gratefully glad it was not marble but the ever changing and ever living earth.

"You miss Mirkwood," Arri sighed reaching for simple flower and then took perch on a large rock.

He nodded knowing she did too, "a man's world does not suit us."

Arri agreed as he seemed to take in the forest and it's occupants. She knew he wanted to hunt but was not sure if it was not sure if it was because he wanted them to eat what he had caught to be safe of poisoning or just needed to hunt away from the castle. Lost in her thought she found him squatted in front of her with a smile and his hands clasped together. She tilted her head in wonder and he smiled opening his hands as three small colorful butterflies flew past her face. They floated around her as if caught in a vortex then they glided up and away far into the canopy.

She smiled at them happy he had brought her here with a sigh not wanting to return. He touched her hands lightly from where he knelt on the ground and turned his head up and kissed her lightly. She tossed her hands around his neck letting his weight fall on her as she tumbled with him off the rock. He ran his hand along her body until he reached her stomach and gave her a little smile knowing how taken they were with the unborn elf. She took his hand lightly in hers guiding it from her body as their fingers touched as they desired their bodies to do.

He stood and nodded knowing they could be watched and he pulled her to her feet easily. He sighed retrieving the satchel he had carried for her. "We are not in Mirkwood," she sighed. He scoffed knowing had they been in Mirkwood or Rivendell they would have been making love by now among the branches and leaves on the ground because an elf who had chanced upon them would give them privacy. Even Eosin who felt strongly for Arri had done so. He knew here they fell the pity of men and he knew most of the time it did not mean much.

She sighed taking the satchel feeling it was only precaution, "people do not seem to wander far from among those walls."

"We shall stay together," He said quickly.

She agreed silently and began to search the ground finding more flowers than herbs. She looked to him to see him waving to her to keep up with him but she kept her gaze on the ground as she did.

Finding some flowers she had not seen slowed her to gather a few for Legolas's little friend and when she bent she notice a smell of peppermint and followed it to a small patch gathering it slowly.

The crunching of leaves and branches stopped her in mid motion knowing most elves did not create such noise but she could see Legolas to confer with. Looking up she thought it may be an animal and gave a smile but soon she realized that it was not peaceful and spun around run only to see Xander in front of her and a few other guards about.

"Well now," Xander chuckled. "What have we here?"

Arri never offered him a response but stood to leave but he hand his bound around her wrist. She gasped in disgust this man took such liberty and felt the dirt from his skin, leaving a wretched feeling .

Xander tugged her arm and Arri pulled back to him, "Come darlin' we have to get you back to the castle to see Giles."

At once she knew it to be a lie and brought the satchel up connecting with his head and forcing him to let go briefly but it was all she needed. She skipped like a deer might over Xander snatching her satchel as she ran for escape. She stopped short of seeing other guard with swords drawn let her know what they had in store with eyes that only spoke of death. She changed direction from them ducking under one and dodging over the other's grasp like a floating dove.

"Get her!," Xander shouted quickly, "she must not live."

Arri stopped short seeing Jared heading her off and she squinted her eyes at him pulling the elvish dagger she had hidden on her leg, "do you mean to kill me too?"

Jared was taken back and his face mirrored hurt and confusion until he saw the other guards coming at them and her worried expression. Jared drew his own sword quickly pushing Arri behind him and he sized her up quickly. "Can you fight with that?" He looked to the dagger in her hand.

Arri nodded but he seemed to have doubts of it's reach, "run to the castle, Arri. Legolas was in that direction."

She watched him carefully and she took to a tree to avoid the swords and eyeing Jared as he easily seemed to handle the guards. Knowing he would be all right she jumped from the tree towards Legolas and before she knew it felt out of breath for the first time she could ever remember but fought the straining in her lungs, against the knot at her side now. It was then she noticed the broken vile broken on the branch at her feet. Smoke began to become heavier but it was quick as it let off a stench and she began to cough violently dropping her satchel. The smoke blinded her senses to where she could not tell who pushed her from the path.

She blinked against the tears as she fell to her feet trying to see who stood before her. She felt them set her on the ground gently but she had a feeling of dread. She knew it was justified as she saw Xander glaring at her and it seemed her senses were now impaired, even speech seem to fail her now.

Xander sneered as he looked at her licking his lips and he covered her mouth to keep her coughing at a minimum. He pushed his sword at her neck and she reached under her dress to find her dagger and saw he caught this gesture easily. He took a sharp breath looking at the leg she exposed and he pulled her gown up more with a chuckle.

"You'll not tell anyone or you'll be dead," he growled at her. He wondered how long the potion Manveru would give him before she was able to gain her complete Elvish senses again.

She tried pushing him off of her but found his weight much greater than she could handle and she was certain he weighed more than any elf. She could hardly breathe much less fight the mountainous man but as his hand reached up her elfin gown she felt panic reach her face. She tried to hold back tears as he rubbed his rough along hers. She felt his hand with withdraw and he began fumbling with his pants she tried to bring her leg to connect with his groin but she missed it. She felt his grasp around her neck tighten and she fought for breath, trying to gasp or pant, anything to draw air. She squirmed trying to move from under him but gratefully took in air again.

Haze seemed to float over her and she felt sickened with his breath against her neck and his rough stubble pushing on mouth as she tried to scream. She felt him tighten his grasp again on her neck as if to choke the light from her eyes and her only thought as she floated to darkness was 'Legolas.'

Legolas had stopped when he realized Arri was not behind him and soon he heard the clashing of swords. He knew something amiss and nimbly made his way to see Jared fighting with 3 of the other guards. One had him at his mercy and before he let his fatal blow Legolas's arrow found the guard quickly. He took two other arrows at the same two for the remaining guards and Jared looked to Legolas gratefully. Although he was very curious as to why Jared would be fighting his own men.

Legolas felt like he signed his death warrant looking at the dead guards and he met Jared's eyes.

"Had them where I wanted them," he choked at Legolas weakly who looked him over quickly for injury but ran in the other direction as he felt the threat was still about and every thought was to his beloved.

He heard Jared's noisy footfalls behind him hoping his help would not alert them to his presence as he ran in the direction. His senses and instinct guided his feet and he found Arri's dagger on the ground and swallowed as he picked it up quickly. He heard Jared catching up with him and he ran off seeing Arri's satchel along the path with the scattered peppermint and flowers around it and his heart sank. He could almost smell Arri but heard a man's grunting and he reached for his bow slowly not happy of the other smells he found. It would seem after the fact that Jared caught up with him breathlessly.

Legolas readied his bow as he moved quickly and silently seeing what he had feared, a man was laying over Arri as she struggle weakly with his hand on her throat. Never had he felt such anger as he did then seeing her gown hiked about her hips as her legs pushed at the man's naked torso. He could see she fought for breath as the man tried to clumsily relieve his lusts but had not breached. He heard the branches crunch next to him and knew it was Jared who drew his sword nosily and knew he must act fast to save his Arri from the man's very personal attack.

"Halt," Jared demanded who looked at Xander and felt sick, "And for God's sake do up your britches, man!"

The man turned and chuckled at them with his hand at Arri's throat. He knew the elf and Jared as they recognized him.

Jared moved to strike, "Xander, let her go."

"Come closer and I will kill her," he tightened his grasp on her quickly causing her to try to gasp for breath again.

Legolas let his arrow go striking Xander in the head and with such force he sent him flying off Arri. Legolas ran nimbly to Arri pulling her to him he looked at her dress and pulled it down quickly allowing her 'some' privacy.

"Arri," Legolas whispered in Elvish. "Open your eyes, my love." He touched her face lightly brushing the dirt and debris from her hair and face and upon inspection he was very happy to see she actually worn the under garments, they remained untouched much to his relief. He held her tighter thinking of Gimli's words once again, 'the treasure they are,' and she was to him.

She still seemed to struggle for her breath as she looked to him ashamed. He smiled seeing her opened eyes and hugged her lightly helping her to sit. He looked at her throat to see the imprints of Xander's fingers and exhaled pushing his teeth together.

Jared made way to them taking his cloak and wrapping it around Arri, "is she all right?" Swallowing hard he noticed the imprints on her neck and felt very sad to be a man if the others were comparison.

Legolas sighed but nodded.

"You killed Xander," Jared said crestfallen taken back at the corpse that used to be Xander.

Legolas narrowed his eyes looking where Xander had landed, "I had intended to."

"This is trouble," Jared groaned running his hand over his face, "he was Giles's son."

Arri's eyes widened finally finding her voice, "What?" Was all she could choke out and looked at Jared from Legolas firm embrace. She pulled back to look in his eyes, "it was a spell." She looked alarmed that croaking was her own voice now.

"It wasn't made known to everyone," Jared sighed sinking to the ground. "He was illegitimate and an embarrassment to Giles but his son none the less."

They all seemed to stare at the body as if it would tell them the story itself.

"Killing one of the royal guards is death itself but Xander…." Jared ran his hand through his short hair.

Arri looked to Legolas worried for him now and pressed herself to his chest a little. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and pushed his arms under her knees. "We will deal with it," Legolas kept a stern gaze and was certain if they knew what he happened upon anybody else would have done the same

"He'll kill you," Jared stared at Legolas hard and at Arri's eyes that only seemed to see Legolas.

Arri felt her world was falling apart and sighed hard, "This is not your battle." She said in a voice more like her own and wondered if she should send him away to keep her love safe until she could join him. Life would ebb and fade away if anything happened to him and she could not bear it but she would do anything to keep him safe.

Jared watched the two as he measured up what to do, "Don't tell anyone and maybe they won't miss Xander." He suggested lightly.

Legolas felt Arri trying to push her feet to the ground and sighed letting her go. "Giles would miss him."

"If Giles finds him dead it will be a choice between the crown and his son's vengeance," Jared walked over to them wondering what their next step should be.

Arri looked at Legolas who mirrored her worried look, "how?"

"To admit Xander was his would be to forfeit the crown," Jared began to pace a bit now and met their curious gazes, "Loredell frowns upon bastards and such affairs."

Legolas thought of their lack of formal union and their unborn and how they would have to hide everything until it was rectified by marriage and final union and he looked at Arri wondering if he had lost her the crown and helped her fail.

"Not many know that you are not married?" Jared said suddenly thinking of it. "Does anybody know that you both," he let his hands move trying to finish his words, "couple ?"

Legolas shook his head, "Never have we had such a problem and yet by our traditions we are mated," he thought of comfortable word for the man, "Married."

"Xander broke into the room when we were sleeping and you knew as well as our companions," Arri said quickly.

"Sleeping is not a couple," Jared sighed hoping they were safe from Giles's criticism. Then he narrowed his eyes looking at them, "When do you 'wed' by our traditions?" He said uncomfortably.

They both looked at the other with uncertain looks. Legolas felt anxious yet still felt the dread over them both, "Why do you help us?"

"I want peace here," Jared said pointedly. "I will take care of this." He pushed a foot at Xander's body.

Legolas gave Arri a sidelong glance knowing neither of them felt right about it. Leaving a dead man without his kin to mourn him, it was not how things were properly done. Of course, it was not as if he was an orc or a goblin who had attacked them but a man with a name and a station.

"We can bury him properly later," Jared said watching their disapproving stares. "You need to be wed and to take the crown." He said to Arri and began to point to another entrance to the castle. "Perhaps go to your room and pull yourself together but don't be seen until you do."

Arri tilted her head a little overwhelmed and still felt impaired by the magic, "If you did not join these guards then why did you come here?"

Jared almost slapped his head finally remembering, "for Legolas. There are some visitors for him."

Legolas furrowed his brow half expecting his father's name to be mentioned but now he was not sure if it would be a good or bad element.

"Two hobbits from Rivendell," Jared shrugged.

Legolas smiled a little, relieved, "Frodo and Sam?"

"A portly fellow and smaller one with blue eyes," Jared said, "They both had cloaks with leaves bound around their necks."

Legolas knew it was them remembering his own cloak given by Galadriel, "they are friends." He looked to Arri not sure if she had met them.

Jared nodded moving to Xander's body, "Go and I will take care of this." They looked doubtful but Legolas nodded taking Arri's hand.