Lim Aear

Author's Note: I decided to take a break from studying before I go completely mad and post the next chapter! I would like to thank you for all your reviews! You are amazing! A BIG thanks to my BETA Ivy for her wonderful job!

There is quite a lot of elvish in this chapter. I am by no means an expert in Sindarin and I've done the best I could with the limited knowledge I possess. I had to reconstruct a verb for 'love' from Quenya instances of the verb that I was able to found, because using the Quenya form when my elves speak Sindarin did not bode well with the linguist inside me... :-P So anyway, you are most welcome to supply your corrections if you find any mistakes!

P.S.: It's been some time now that headers won't work. Sorry... :-/

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

italics: thoughts

[translations]


Chapter 12


Five days passed in a haze for Elaine, between making arrangements and secret meetings with her Prince; walks by the lake, stolen kisses, fleeting touches… She called her mother to let her know she would be away for some days on a trip with her friends and told Jessica she would go back home and stay in the city for a few days, due to unexpected business.

Jessica had raised an eyebrow at the ‘unexpected business’.

“Uh-huh.”

“What?” Elaine asked sighing.

“Seriously El, do you expect me to believe this crap?”

“Why the hell not?” she threw her hands up in exasperation. “Jess, don’t start again, please…”

“What is your big secret that you can’t tell me? I’m your best friend…”

Elaine sat on her bed and Jessica kneeled in front of her.

“I am only worried for you… After what happened last year, you’ve changed so much…”

Elaine gave her a warning glance not to say a word more on the matter. She looked away and started worrying her lower lip. Jessica saw this as a sign that she was thinking about how to start telling her what was going on.

“How do you expect me to be the same, Jess? How could anyone stay unaffected by all this? Things have been going so wrong for me the last year… And now that there is some hope, I…”

Her voice trailed off and she sniffed.

“Stop crying and tell me what’s wrong. Crying will not solve your problems,” Jessica said in a stern voice and shook her leg to get her attention. So typical of Elaine to start crying to escape from further questions. She wouldn’t take pity on her this time.

“I’ve been so lonely…” Elaine said through sobs.

“I know sweetie, but keeping a distance from anyone who tries to get to know you doesn’t really help matters.”

“I told you I don’t want to get too close to someone only to lose him again!”

“What happened to you was not something you see everyday! Get over it and stop pushing away every guy that wants to get a little closer!”

Jessica pushed herself up and turned towards the window. She looked at the people on the beach and sighed. How could she make her understand? Why was she SO stubborn? She made herself suffer for no reason.

“The only thing that’s different between a friend and a boyfriend, is sex. I can have sex and find the rest in my friends. I don’t need to get involved with all this romantic bullshit and empty promises”, Elaine said dryly and wiped her tears.

Jessica turned around with a shocked look on her face.

“When did you become so cynic? That’s not the Elaine I knew!”

“Well, in case you haven’t noticed, certain circumstances can change your romantic views on love once and for all!”

Jessica looked at her thoughtful for a few seconds.

“No, you haven’t changed. You just pretend. And it’s fine pretending to me, but pretending to yourself? That’s pathetic,” Jessica spat out and grabbed her purse to leave.

Elaine groaned and rolled her eyes. That had gone so well. Jessica turned around suddenly and Elained looked up expectantly.

“I will tell everyone what you told me about going home, but make sure you don’t get into trouble again. Next time I’m calling your parents.”

She got out and walked down the stairs. Elaine heard the shutting of the front door and let herself collapse on the bed, feeling utterly defeated. She was going deeper and deeper in the mess she had created and she didn’t know where to go in this never-ending labyrinth. Just when she thought she saw a light in the tunnel, she had messed up again. She sighed and pulled herself up. She looked at her clock. It was time for her meeting with Legolas. Her face brightened and the dimples on her cheeks appeared. The smile on her face did not leave space for worries and troubles. She would think about them later.

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“El, what are these?”

Legolas raised an eyebrow at the travel bag on her shoulders and the one laying in front of her.

“My stuff”, she answered giving him a look as if he was asking something very odd.

“Stuff…?”

“My things”, she explained. “First aid things…”, she pointed behind her at the bag on her shoulders, “…clothes and shoes”, she finished, kicking at the travel bag on her feet.

He chuckled.

“What?” she looked at him confused.

“’Tis just three days.”

“You said five!”

“Yes, two of them will be our traveling.”

Elaine looked at him wide-eyed.

“Is it THAT far away?”

“No, but we’ll be going on a leisurely pace and I want to show you the beauty of Lim Aear…” he said as he walked closer to her and took her face in his hands.

“Take your ‘first aid things’ and leave the rest here. We cannot carry so many things with us.” He placed his finger on her lips when she opened her mouth to protest. “Belwen has packed some clothes for you. I like you better in gowns. You look splendid.”

She didn’t say anything. If Legolas said she looked good in gowns, then gowns it would be! Anything to please his eyes. She nodded and smiled, taking a step back to let a servant take the travel bag that was not needed. She turned around and saw Belwen smile amused. She was very happy she would accompany them to their trip. She really enjoyed her company.

Legolas took her hand and walked over to where some horses stood, saddled and ready for them to ride.

Wait… Ride??

“We’re going on horses??” she asked Legolas, a panicked look on her face.

“Aye”, he looked at her confused. Why would that bother her?

She shook her head backing away.

“I’m not getting on that horse.”

Legolas suppressed a laugh as he realized his little star was afraid of horses.

“Would you like another one?”

Elaine noticed the amusement in his voice and groaned.

“Legolas, I CAN’T RIDE!”

“And why would that be a problem?”

He just loved to tease her. She was even more fun than Gimli. Her cheeks would take a lovely rosy hue and her eyes would sparkle more than ever, usually accompanied by a pout. She was just adorable when angry or frustrated. In his opinion, of course.

“You will ride with me, do not worry. I will not let you fall.

She sighed realizing she had no other choice. Legolas smiled satisfied and helped her up his horse. Elaine gripped anything she found in front of her for dear life and took a few deep breaths.

You can do it. You can do it. You can do it.

Legolas handed her bag to one of the elves that would accompany them and jumped effortlessly behind her. Elaine yelped when the horse shifted its weight. Legolas put his arms around her and reached for the reins. Belwen, Adanoth, and the rest of their group also mounted their horses and they began their trip to the Golden Wood.

Elaine found riding not so unpleasant after all. The gentle rocking of the horse was somewhat calming to her and Legolas’ arms were holding her tightly. She had leaned her head back on his shoulder and watched in amazement the thick vegetation around them, totally forgetting they were actually underground. Every now and then, Legolas would lean in to smell the scent of her hair, or give her a kiss on her cheek and gently caress her hand. He let them ride in silence to give Elaine the chance to admire the beauty of Lim Aear and only answered to questions she asked him now and then.

After a while, Elaine closed her eyes and relaxed in his embrace. She felt a little sleepy, having spent the previous night with Legolas in Lim Aear. She had asked him about the Elves again, because she found them such a fascinating race. She was very curious about their immortality. She had asked him if they could never die and he had answered they could die in battle or fade from a broken heart. The latter had made Elaine think. If there was this slight chance that Belwen’s words were true –because she stubbornly refused to believe them- could Legolas fade away and die when she’d be gone?

Would I cause another one’s death?

She had to keep a distance. She had to keep it simple. It was just fun, like with all the others. She wouldn’t get hurt or hurt anyone again. She wouldn’t…

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Legolas looked down at the woman in his arms and smiled seeing she had fallen asleep.

“Melach e”, Belwen said, moving her horse at his side. [You love her]

“Athar phith. Man cerithan, Belwen?” He asked her, his face suddenly changing into one of sadness. [Beyond words. What will I do, Belwen?]

“Man pedich, hîr nín?” Belwen asked, switching into common tongue. [What are you saying (what do you mean), my lord?]

“Man cerithan, ae ú-anira cuina cuil thin ah nin?” [What will I do, if she doesn’t desire to live her life with me?]

Belwen looked in front of her at the ears of her horse thoughtful.

“Anirach LE cuina cuil lin ah e?” [Do YOU desire to live your life with her?]

Legolas lowered his eyes. Was he really willing to share his life with this woman and risk dying of grief when she would eventually die? No he was SURE he would fade away when she died. He had never loved anyone like that before. His soul screamed at him that she was his soul-mate. He couldn’t imagine life without her now that he had found her. He loved the way she talked, laughed, how she worried her lip when she was thinking, the way she pouted when she was frustrated…

No. He would die whether she agreed to become his wife or not. There would be nothing to live for if she left him again.

And she didn’t care about his title. She had told him that she’d rather he wasn’t a Prince. But she respected the fact that he was, nonetheless. She never asked for anything. She never accepted compliments and sometimes spoke words unworthy of herself. He frowned. What was the cause of this behavior? The way she held herself was certainly not insecure. Another sigh. Every moment that passed, he realised there was so much to learn about this woman and so little time. And he was determined to spend even a short life finding out about her, loving her and being loved in return, rather than live in misery for eternity, knowing he had let true love slip out of his hands.

Belwen saw her dear friend struggling with his thoughts. She didn’t expect him to answer, when his soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

“I will make her my wife if she agrees. I will spend my life at her side. There is no other I would ever love, Belwen. Death is a small price to pay for the happiness and completeness she gives me.”

Belwen smiled sadly. She would lose a good friend. Lim Aear would lose its Prince.

“Legolas, you are a very dear friend to me. Are you certain this is a wise choice?”

“I don’t have a choice in this matter, Belwen. My heart has already chosen for me and I cannot go against its wishes.”

And Belwen knew she could not go against his wishes either. There was no way someone could change this elf’s mind and talk him into walking out of such a challenge.


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