Lim Aear

Author's Note: I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. I had an unexpected health problem that kept me away from my computer. Please review?

I would like to take up a little space here and resolve an issue that was raised. I'm aware that we don't all have the same views and opinions on marriage. Elaine is married, yes, but she is also 20 years old and has a life outside Lim Aear. She cannot disappear from the face of the Earth so simply! I don't find anything wrong with a young woman (although married) wanting to have fun and I don't see marriage as a cage that alienates you from your social life. This doesn't make Elaine's behaviour unrealistic, but only strengthens the issue raised in this chapter: different world
views and the inevitable culture clash they cause.

Now, I hope you enjoy the chapter!


Disclaimer: See Prologue.

italics: thoughts

[translations]

Chapter 24

Dawn was slowly making its appearance and breaking the darkness of night, when Elaine was finally able to escape from her friends and make it to Lim Aear. She was humming a song to herself, as she made her way through the gates of the palace, giving out greetings and smiles to whoever she met on her way. It had been such a wonderful night! Although it had started quite boring, Juan had arrived to save the day. Elaine was so excited at having danced the whole night, in spite of her presently aching feet. She had always liked dancing, but ever since she had started salsa lessons, as Juan had suggested, she had fallen in love with it.

She twirled and kept humming the tune of the Cuban song they had last danced to, until Juan’s girlfriend arrived and took her place. She had gone back to the bar then and spent her time talking with Mark and Jessica. She hadn’t danced with anyone else, knowing that some of her dance partners had not so noble intentions… at least with Juan she was sure to dance just for the sake of dancing.

But still, nothing had dampened her excellent mood and she couldn’t wait until she told Legolas what a wonderful night she had. She smiled to herself; how she wished she could dance like that with him! How she wished she was sitting with him at the bar, laughing and talking with him, while he ran his fingers through her hair or kept his hand loosely around her waist! But she knew that none of that would ever happen. It was a knowledge that saddened her, but she had come to accept it; she wouldn’t change her love with Legolas for anything in the world.

She asked a passing maid where Legolas was and she pointed her to the direction of his study. She frowned. Didn’t he ever get any sleep? She was aware that elves required little of it, yet she couldn’t help but worry; he worked too hard. The duties of his kingdom rested heavy on his shoulders and only Elaine knew what a true burden they were to the free-spirited elf. Late at night, as they rested in each other’s arms after their love-making, they would always talk. Legolas was surprised at first when Elaine asked him if he was alright; if maybe all those responsibilities were too much for him and made him feel caged. Nobody ever seemed to care for his feelings. For everyone, he was the valiant member of the Fellowship, their Prince, a rock they could lean on and a bright beacon to lead them. Nobody ever cared to share his problems; or maybe they didn’t dare to ask him, because he always kept himself so guarded. But Elaine was able to see through him and see the tiredness and bitterness that had settled within the once light-hearted wood elf; and by acknowledging it, she had helped him start healing it with her love.

She turned the knob slowly, attempting to sneak on him, but then realized how silly she was being; he had probably heard her already halfway across the corridor! She opened the heavy wooden door and stepped inside his study, her eyes immediately being drawn to the tall figure standing in front of the fireplace. She closed the door behind her and stood perplexed for a moment, wondering why Legolas still kept his back turned on her. She could only see his profile, which betrayed nothing of his thoughts, and the slight tapping of his finger on the glass he was holding on his left hand.

“Legolas?” she called softly.

The elf didn’t move.

“Sit down.”

She paused mid-step at the cold tone in his voice.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, confusion and concern evident in her tone.

“I will not repeat myself; sit down.”

Uttering these words, he turned to finally face her and Elaine barely suppressed a gasp. The person before her could not be Legolas. She felt herself shrinking under the gravity of his gaze, fear seizing her heart. That was surely not her husband! His presence was towering over her, for the first time truly intimidating her; was this how his enemies felt at his presence? But why would she be his enemy tonight?

Most people know when to keep their mouth shut and do as they are told. But Elaine had a habit of pushing her limits, even if she was scared out of her wits.

“I demand to know what is going on,” she said her voice shaking slightly, yet trying to appear brave in the eyes of her beloved. Like Legolas, sometimes she was too proud for her own good.

Legolas felt his hardly suppressed anger starting to bubble inside him once more. That insolent child! She dared to talk back to him!

“You have no right to demand anything. You should do well to remember your place,” he told her, trying to keep the level of his voice low.

Elaine’s mouth dropped. She could not believe her ears! What had gotten into him all of sudden? He had never talked to her in such a way! He had always been so gentle and sweet-talking to her…

“My place?” she exclaimed incredulously. “I am your wife!”

“Exactly!” She flinched at the volume of his voice. “You are my wife,” the elf continued through clenched teeth, “and the Princess of Lim Aear! And you should make sure to remember this at all times!”

She was genuinely confused by then. Legolas was breathing hard, trying to keep his rage in control. By the Valar, he had never struck a woman before, but the urge to do it now was overwhelming!

“Can you PLEASE tell me what all this is about?” she asked, starting to lose her patience.

“Did you have fun tonight, my precious wife?”

She felt her heart constrict at the irony in his voice. What had she done to deserve such a treatment?

“I did,” she replied in a small voice.

Legolas’ eyes seemed to darken at her answer and he clenched his jaw, momentarily looking away. She watched mortified as the glass he held in his hand shattered with the force he threw it on the wall in a moment of blinding rage, wine dripping down from the white stone to stain the marble floor. She took a couple of steps away from him, frightened by his behavior. Had he gone mad??

“Have you no shame?” he seethed as he faced her once more, the features of his face now showing clearly for anyone to see the mad fury inside him. “You come in here and call yourself my wife when you were acting like a whore a few hours ago?”

“I beg your pardon?”

She could not believe her ears! Her kind Legolas calling her a whore? She was positively fuming by then, her hurt feelings at his behavior well forgotten at the words she heard.

“You should do well to beg my pardon, although I will not grant it so easily this time!” the elf replied, his eyes boring into hers with an intensity that threatened to kill her.

“What in the world has gotten into you?” she exclaimed, not being able to find the reason for his anger towards her yet. The last time they had met, he wouldn’t let her out of his arms!

“Have you already forgotten the man you were dancing with tonight?” His voice was once more heavy with irony. “I should not be surprised, apparently you have forgotten you are married as well!”

Elaine froze as the situation finally registered in her mind. Legolas had seen her dancing with Juan! But how? He was not supposed to come so close to humans of the upper world! Much less to a beach bar! And…- Dear God, is he following me around? Shock filled her as she realized that her own husband had so little faith in her, that he was actually spying her moves! Her anger spread through her veins like a poison and her green eyes sparkled with renowned fury.

“I was only DANCING, like I danced with Adanoth and Lord Celeborn some days ago; you didn’t seem to mind then! Have you been following me?”

Legolas chose to pretend he didn’t hear the last part for the sake of his dignity.

“You call that dancing?” Legolas said laughing mirthlessly. “He was touching you everywhere!”

She groaned. It was about time. She had been wondering when and for what reason it would happen and it finally did:

The dreaded culture clash.

“Oh for God’s sake Legolas, that’s how you dance salsa!”

“I do not care how it is your custom to dance, my wife shall not be touched by anyone but me!”

After glaring at her for a good amount of time to get his point across, he turned around and leaned with his hands against the fireplace, closing his eyes to take a calming breath. If he did not, he was sure to kill her with his own hands.

“Are you jealous?”

His eyes flew open at the question coming from the woman behind him, the tone of slight amusement in her voice playing with his nerves in the wrong way. It was too much. Too much rage to hold even for an elf. Too much hurt pride for the elven Prince. A black cloud rose in front of his eyes, which enveloped his senses and reason in its darkness. She had to leave. She really had to leave, because, now, he was truly out of control.

Elaine realized her mistake when she saw the elf stiffen and his hands clenching the marble stone of the fireplace so hard, that his knuckles turned white. She just never knew when to stop. She felt ice settle in the pit of her stomach as Legolas slowly turned towards her. If looks could kill, she knew she would be surely lying dead on the floor by now.

“You will never step foot outside Lim Aear again. I will inform the guards right away. You are dismissed.” He tried to make his voice sound as impassive as possible, as he walked over to his desk and gathered a stack of papers, arranging them in a neat pile.

If a truck had run over her at that moment, Elaine would have never noticed. She felt as if she had been struck by lightning, since the tone of his voice left no room for doubting his determination.

“Have you gone mad?? My parents are coming tomorrow!” she yelled at him, feeling desperation gather up to form a lump in her throat.

“Get out Elaine, before I do something I regret!” he told her as calmly as he could, clenching his fists to keep them by his side.

“You cannot keep me a prisoner here!” The tears finally poured over her eyes, leaving wet trails behind them as they slid over her cheeks.

“Get out!” Legolas yelled bringing his fist down on the desk, cracking the wooden surface in the process. Elaine jumped at the strength exhibited by the elf in front of her, but the feeling of helplessness had covered all her reason.

“Dammit Legolas, I am your wife!”

The word ‘wife’ was enough to destroy the last threads of control he held.

“GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! NOW!!”

The whole palace heard him. The whole city probably, too. And this time Elaine backed away from him like a frightened animal, running out of the door in tears.

Light-headed from the swirl of emotions inside him, Legolas sank in his armchair, covering his head with his hands. He thought that things could not get worse than that. He wanted to scream his rage, break every single object in the room and at the same time kiss Elaine so hard, that she would never think of anything else but him.

Not mere minutes after Elaine had left his study, a breathless warden came running to his study.

“Yrch, hîr nín!” he exclaimed trying to catch his breath. The distance of the borders to the city was a long one, even for an elf. [Orcs, my lord!]

“What are you saying?” Legolas jumped out of his armchair and approached the panting archer.

“Our wardens are holding them back at the borders!”

Legolas looked at the young elf in front of him speechless for a few moments. Why were the orcs attacking them again? Before their recent attack in Lothlorien, they hadn’t bothered the elves in centuries. In fact, they had thought that the vile creatures had finally become extinct!

“How is it possible? How have they passed through Lothlorien?” he asked unable to fathom the news.

“They did not travel on land, my lord! They have built boats again and headed straight to the north-east shore of the Lake, miles north from Lothlorien!”

“Gather the army! Inform Daeron he will stay in charge of the city with a small number of archers and bring the people inside the walls of the palace!” Legolas gave out orders to the young warden who rushed to fulfill his lord’s wishes. The elven Prince grabbed his weapons and ran to the court, where chaos had erupted due to the news of the attack. His heart felt heavy, as a sense of uneasiness spread through him, but he dismissed it quickly, concentrating on the upcoming battle. Jumping on his horse’s back, he stormed out of the city with the elven army, which had gathered as quickly as possible at the short notice, to reinforce the small elven force at the borders.

You know what they say: it never rains, but it pours. And this time it poured a swarm of orcs with very, very bad intentions.