Can You Thaw This Heart Of Mine?

Chapter 18

Legolas weakly opened his eyes and saw a blur of red and green in front of him. Even through this field of murky vision, the prince knee well who it was. Tauriel.

"Legolas," said the elleth, "I am so glad you are awake..."

She held out a hand to stroke his head when a firm hand jolted right up and seized her wrist, preventing her from doing so. Tauriel was baffled...and frightened. What was happening?

He fixed her a cold and strong stare. Then, he let go of her hand and looked away from her.

"Get out." he said quietly.

Tauriel wished she heard wrong. So she stood there and waited. Annoyed, the prince snapped his head to her and gave her a colder and merciless glare.

"What part didn't you understand?!" he demanded, "get out!"

"Legolas, what is wrong with you?" cried Tauriel, and the prince rubbed his temples.

"Look," he said, emphasizing the princely authority in his voice. "let us make it clear- let us forget everything that we ever shared-as friends, as lovers...as anything."

"Why?" asked Tauriel, a pang of sadness hitting her. "Legolas...why?"

"Because I say so." Legolas answered firmly, his blue eyes piercing through hers. "and it is Prince Legolas to you, captain."

Tauriel stood there, trembling as tears fell fast like comets on a night sky. "Legolas-"

"Get out." he said. "Now."

Having no choice, the elleth turned and opened the door. A small creak was heard when Legolas gave his final message.

"If you go out that door," he said, "you might as well do me a favor and get out of my life."

She didn't know how to react and cried even more. When the doors finally clicked shut, Tauriel knew that she had shut out Legolas as well.

Inside, the ellon gave a deep sigh and let his own tears flow.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but I will have to protect you...if anyone else of our enemies know about us, they could kill you, and I wouldn't know what I'd do Tauriel...I love you so much that I have to do this. I'm so sorry, meleth nin."

Legolas remembered the pain on her face, the way her voice masked throe that he didn't even knew existed, those tears that fell...he hated those, and he hated himself for doing that- each word that he said felt as if he was stabbed, but her safety comes first, and love requires sacrifices.

The prince was fully healed after three weeks, and in those times of recovery, he has never felt so alone. Every morning, he'd expect her to be beside him, smiling and taking care of him...but alas, she was not. He'd keep forgetting about how he disowned her, and most of the time, he was staring off I,to space and remembering all about the good memories they shared together and...their first kiss.

He touched his lips and sighed. Legolas missed her lips, her arms around him and her voice...he missed her.

As the prince walked out into daylight to see his kingdom, Legolas saw a sight that punctured his heart. No...I lost her...

Out there, on the open fields was Tauriel- laughing and training with that dark haired ellon. In the shower of sunlight, they both looked like a pretty compatible couple...they looked happy with each other's company.

Legolas hurriedly left and let all the negative feelings out-but try as he might, one thought kept haunting him every night in his sleep.

"I lost the elleth I love...and it is of my fault..."