Broken Hearts

Broken Hearts

Chapter 4
Author: Frosty the Kingpin
Codes: Legolas, Haldir, Elrond, Thranduil, OC, AU, N/C, INC
Rated: NC-17
Summary: During talks of combining Mirkwood and Imladris into one force, a relationship takes a downward spiral.

*

The singing birds outside awakened Tári to the light of day. Her eyes burned as she opened them, and she winced in pain as she rolled over. Last night came back to her in a flurry of images that she wished had only been a bad dream. Unfortunately, the pain in her body was all too real.

The candles had burned themselves out. Rubbing her face, she stood and made the effort to dress and prepare for the day. It didn't even occur to her to stay in bed and avoid life outside. She knew if she didn't show, Legolas would come looking for her.

Her mind explored all the possibilites of how they would react to each other. She didn't kwhatwhatexpeexpect from him, nor did she know if she would be angry or frightened when she saw him. It all felt so unreal. When she looked in the mirror, though, a chill of shame washed through her. Touching her face, she hoped no one would take notice of the bruise along her jawline. How she could ever tell anyone what happened, she didn't know.

Tári half-expected the day to be gloomy and gray, but it was like any other. The blue skies and warm breeze did nothing to alleviate hood,ood, and she found herself once again wishing for her father's presence. If he would come home, she knew things would be better.

"Lady Tári!" She froze on the path as Haldir joined her. "Good morning."

Unconsciously, she allowed her hair to fall over her ears. "And to you," she said, smiling and darting a glance up at him. As she continued walking, she hoped he would not notice her demeanor.

"Did you have a good night?" he asked conversationally.

She didn't know how to respond. "It was...fine," she said finally.

There was a silence and she knew he was watching her. His blue eyes were intense upon her, she knew, as they continued through the forest. Clasping her hands to stop their shaking, she tried to will him to understand that asking her anything more wasn't what she wanted.

Her silence, though, caused him to grow concerned. "Tári," he said quietly, "Are you alright?"

When she clenched her jaw and didn't respond, he grabbed her by the arm and stopped her. She tensed, but looked up at him with anger.

Haldir's eyes narrowed as he let go of her arm. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" When she looked away, it was then he noticed her face. Tári flinched as a finger brushed her jawline and his voice became low. "Did someone hit you?"

Pulling her face away, she took a deep breath and returned his gaze. "I'm fine," she said, her voice wavering slightly, "It's nothing."

When she walked away, she knew he would follow her. "You were fine when I left you last night," he said, catching up to her, "Were you attacked?"

He grabbed her again when she didn't respond, but this time she jerked from his grasp. "Leave it alone, Haldir. I'll deal with it on my own."

Spinning on her heel, Tári continued down the path. The Marchwarden's footsteps were soft behind her as his voice quieted. "Does Legolas know?"

A surge of disgust welled in her stomach at his name. Stopping, she closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath before turning back. "I don't want you to talk to him."

"Why not?" he asked, knitting his brow. He began to grow upset. "If someone hurt you, he should know."

"No," she replied, "Not him."

"Someone, Tári. Tell me, if not Legolas. You cannot allow this to go unpunished!"

She couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth. "It was just a fight. I'm not hurt."

His eyes saddened. "You don't sound very convincing."

"It doesn't matter," she said strongly, not wanting it to go any further, "It's my problem and I'll deal with it. I don't want Legolas involved, Haldir. Promise me you won't speak to anyone about this."

It looked as though he would go against her wishes, but when her eyes pleaded he sighed heavily. "As you wish. If I see you hurt again, though, I will not allow it to go on."

"It won't happen again," she said quietly, exhaling deeply. "Thank you."

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. She knew he was worried. "Is there nothing you want to speak of?" he asked as they once again began along the path.

"No," she replied, shaking her head, "Not now."

Nodding, he turned silent. They walked like that for several minutes before Haldir turned his eyes on her again. "Where are you headed?"

Frowning, Tári looked up from the worn path. She was far from the centre of the city. "I was on my way to breakfast," she said, looking behind them, "I must have been distracted."

"Do you want to go back?" When she nodded, they turned and headed towards the Banquet Hall. "Legolas will ask what happened when he sees you. What are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know," she breathed, "I don't think he'll be very concerned."

"Of course he'll be concerned! He cares deeply about your well-being."

She would have laughed, had the thought not been so morbid. As it was, only a small smile creased her lips. Haldir noticed her self-reflection, and decided against speaking again. She was thankful for that. The hope of a quiet morning did not seem to be in the cards.

As they entered the Banquet Hall, Tári looked around, darting her eyes about the room. She was ever aware that she would have to see Legolas, mostly likely sooner rather than later. It felt good having Haldir with her, though she wasn't sure she wanted him there when she and her brother had a confrontation.

Sitting down at a table, she helped herself to a plate of fruit while listening carefully, trying not to appear distracted. Haldir watched her keenly, though, keeping his questions to himself.

"I wish you wouldn't look at me like that," she sighed, biting a slice of melon.

He shrugged, buttering a slice of bread, "I can't help it. You're acting very unusual this morning."

"I know," she replied, nodding, "I'm sorry."

Leaning forward, his expression turned earnest. "You don't have to be sorry. I just wish I could help with whatever is bothering you."

She nodded and looked up, but was distracted from her reply by Legolas, who was approaching from across the room. Her stomach tensed automatically. Any other day she would have been pleased to see him, happy that she had family to spend time with. Now, she felt nothing but sorrow, anger and confusion.

Haldir turned, curious as to what she was looking at it. He smiled when Legolas stopped at his shoulder. "Good morning, Legolas."

The young elf's eyes moved briefly to Haldir's before settling back on his sister. "Good morning. To both of you." He took a seat beside the Marchwarden and picked up a piece of apple. Looking directly at Tári, he said, "I've been looking for you."

"We went for a walk before breakfast." Tári lowered her eye Hal Haldir's reply, remembering what her brother had said about spending time with other people.

He nodded, taking a bite of the apple. The table took a quiet turn, one that didn't pass by unnoticed. "There must be something in the air this morning. Both of you are acting odd."

Legolas raised his eyebrows, glancing at Haldir. "Both of us?" Turning to his sister, he leaned forward slightly. "Is something wrong, Tári?"

She felt her face flush, feeling suddenly flustered. "No. Nothing."

"Are you sure?" Before she could pull away, he reached over and closed a hand over hers. His thumb brushed her skin softly. "I want you to tell me if something isn't right."

She stared at him, anger growing within her. He was mocking her. Trying not to draw notice from Haldir, she slid her hand from underneath his. "I'm fine."

Smiling, Legolas drew back his hand and sat back. "I'm glad to hear that."

Haldir's eyes moved between the siblings. Tári could tell he didn't quite know what to make of their moods. "What are you doing today, Haldir?" she asked, hoping she would be able to escape into his company. The more time she spent near Legolas, the more cornered she felt. What she needed was time to think.

Her heart fell when he answered. "I promised I would ride out with several of the guards to check our borders."

"That's a good idea," said Legolas, "Be sure to take along supplies for those who are monitoring the edges of Mirkwood."

Haldir nodded, taking a sip of water. "We may not be back for a day or two. If the archers need a day of relief, we'll provide them with a break before returning."

Tári frowned, clenching her palms together. Haldir was going to be away for days, leaving her alone with her brother. In the early morning, she thought maybe Legolas had taken what he wanted and would now leave her alone. When her eyes rose to his, though, she knew that was not true. His gaze swept over her appraisingly before returning to the Marchwarden. "Your loyalty to Mirkwood will be recognized, Haldir. Thank you."

Thinking quickly, her mind raced through the places she could go and people she could be with to keep her away from Legolas. Unfortunately, at a time such as this, most were too involved in other things to keep a princess entertained. She must have looked nervous, for Haldir looked at her in concern. "I want you to keep safe while I'm gone, Tári. Spend time with your brother."

Legolas narrowed his eyes, but remained silent. Unable to voice anything, she merely smiled wanely and nodded.

A rumble of activity from the other side of the room turned their attentions away from each other. Several archers, standing up from their tables, motioned to Haldir to follow. "If you'll excuse me," he said, standing, "I'm needed. I will see you in a few days." His gaze lingered on Tári for a few moments before he smiled and left.

She kept herself tense, fighting hard against the urge to jump up and run after him. Keeping strong was what she promised herself she would do, so instead of fleeing she looked at her brother with hard eyes, waiting for him to speak.

He smiled, the kind of smile he used to give her when she did something that amused him. It made her sick. "My love," he said, eyeing her face, "Did I hurt you?"

"Did you hurt me?" she hissed, conscious of the people around them, "What do you think?"

His smile did not fade. "I apologize if I was rough. I didn't want to be."

She stood up, looking down on him coldly. "I will not speak of this with you. I thought I could, but I'm not strong enough to look at you in the eye and discuss what you did to me. Stay away from me from now on."

Not caring if anyone noticed her anger, she left the Banquet Hall and walked out into the sunlight, relief filling her senses. An overwhelming wave of sadness hit her as well, though, and she fought hard not to allow it to show. Taking a deep breath, she stopped on the footpath and crossed her arms, looking around. She wondered if Legolas would actually leave her be.

"Tári." A chill went through her body at the voice. He had followed her.

She turned, but kept her expression hard. "I told you to stay away from me."

He raised his hand and pushed a lock of hair from her face. Tári darted her glance around them, looking to see if anyone noticed. "I wanted to be near you," he said, smoothing her hair back.

She pulled away from his persistent touch. "What happened to you? Why did you do this to me?"

"If you're asking why I changed, I don't think you quite understand," he replied, dropping his hand, "It was only a matter of time before I made my feelings known to you. I've dreamed for years of touching you."

"You're my brother," she growled, "What you did is wrong!"

"You think that now. But I can make you feel things that you have never experienced before. You'll understand, in time."

Shaking her head slowly, she took a step back. "You're insane. I won't let you touch me again. I'd sooner tell all of Mirkwood what you did."

Legolas' eyes turned challenging. "Would you? I don't think so."

She wavered, knowing he understood the shame she felt. "I would."

He took a step forward, invading her space. "I see it in your eyes, love. You're ashamed of what happened. But you know what I think? I think you're ashamed because part of you enjoyed what I did to you."

"You're wrong," she replied quietly. Fear was beginning to overtake her anger.

Taking hold of her wrist, he gently uncrossed her arms. "How about this time, I let you choose which way I fuck you?"

Without thinking, she jerked away from him. He was tight in his hold though, grasping her wrist firmly as she tried to pull away. His expression grew irritated as he used his other hand to grab her shoulder and pull her close. "Let go of me!" she nearly yelled.

He shook her hard, hard enough to surprise her. Silenced, she looked up into his angry eyes. "Was last night not enough to deter you from fighting me?"

"Someone will see," she breathed, her gaze darting around them, "They'll see what you're doing to me."

He didn't seem worried, much to her horror. "No one will see," he whispered, twisting her around and clamping a hand over her mouth. She struggled and screamed, but it was no use. He held her tight and quiet as he began to force her along the path, further from the city and towards the cold, empty forest.

Legolas pulled her far into the woods of Mirkwood. She knew the chances of anyone seeing them were slim. Putting the last of her energy into it, she jerked forward, trying to force herself from his grasp. He responded by turning her and slamming her back against a tree.

The bark scratched her through her dress as he held her there. "Remain silent," he hissed, his hand still upon her mouth, "I will not tolerate your screams."

She hollered into his hand, intent on defying him to her last breath. Anger flickered over her brother's eyes as he sent a fist into her stomach, then let go of her mouth.

Tári stumbled over and fell to the earthen floor. Stars melted into her vision as she tried desperately to suck in air. "If you don't keep quiet, I'll be forced to do more than just assault you," she heard him say, "Perhaps threatening something you care about - Haldir, for instance - will convince you to keep your mouth shut."

Slowly, painfully, air began to seep into her lungs. Tári's eyes watered as she gasped and held her stomach. She knew he was serious about his threat. Her own bodily harm was one thing, but if he hurt someone she cared about she wouldn't be able to live through that.

Strong hands pulled her gently to her feet. "Do you understand me, Tári?" His slender fingers brushed the hair out of her face so he could look down on her easily.

Nodding, unable to speak, she gave that much to him. But she would not surrender to him willingly. As he cupped her face gently, she remained quiet and tight-lipped when he leaned in to kiss her.

His lips were warm upon hers, and he tried to force her mouth to open, but she would not allow it. Frustrated, he pulled back.

"Why are you still defying me?" he asked, clearly angry.

"If you think I'm going to accept what you're doing to me," she hissed, "You are sadly mistaken."

"I could make this easy on you. I could make it enjoyable." He was holding back his anger, she could tell. He moved a hand to his back pocket and slipped something out. When she saw it was a small knife, her body froze. "If you continue to disrespect me, though, I will not care for your comfort."

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked, her voice more angry than scared.

Legolas pressed the blade of the knife to the ties that bound her dress. With a sharp movement, he slipped the steel upwards and cut the strings. Tári winced each time he forced the knife upward. "It hurts me that you would ask such a thing," he said seriously as he continued cutting her dress, "I love you. I would never hurt you so terribly."

Feeling the fabric loosen around her chest and the knife pull away, she exhaled deeply. "Do you have any idea how you sound?"

Legolas slipped the knife back into his pocket. He saw her eyes follow his movements and smiled. "You wouldn't hurt your own brother, would you?"

An aching moved over her body as her eyes began to tear. No, she couldn't hurt her own brother. Even when he was hurting her. Warm hands parted her bodice and caressed her skin, pulling her attention away from her thoughts. As he squeezed a breast and watched her sad face, her stomach turned. Frowning, she weakly shoved his hand away.

"Good girl," he breathed quietly, sliding his hand along her waist, "You're losing your will to fight against me. I knew you would learn. Now, love, if only you would take some enjoyment out of it. It would make me happy to see you smile."

He was right, she knew. She was losing the will to fight him off. "I will never smile again," she whispered, distracted by the soft massage of his hand along her skin.

"We will see." He removed his hand from her and opened his pants.

A thrill shot through her. Even as his body pinned her to the tree, she managed to lash out at him, shoving him back as hard as she could. Unprepared, he stumbled back, and Tári took the opportunity to run.

On weak, numb legs she took off through the forest. Her breath was loud as she tried desperately to out-run him, but Legolas had recovered quickly and followed. He was not held back by fear or despair as she was, and soon caught up to her.

A hand grabbed her arm and roughly jerked her around. Before she could react, he hit her across the face and let her fall to the ground.

She didn't have time to try to get up before Legolas was on top of her. When her hands went up to stop his approach, he backhanded her again. Barely able to think straight, she felt herself give up. Tears streamed down her face.

"You will have reason to cry once I'm through with you," he growled, shoving her skirts up. "I should beat you for your insolence."

His words were muffled by the pain in her head, but when he shoved forward into her body, Tári once again became keenly aware of what was happening. Groaning at the pain, she closed her eyes and cried freely.

Legolas was hard and rough with her, intent on his own pleasure. Each time his hips rolled forward, Tári whimpered in pain. She still ached from their previous encounter.

His mouth was close to hers as he moved within her. Dusting kisses along her cheek and jaw, Legolas slowly lost himself to the building pleasure. When he groaned deep and emptied into her, she swore it would be the last time he ever touched her.

Ragged breaths echoed in her ears as he rested. She wanted him off and away, but would not push for fear of his brutality. Tári now recognized how far he would go.

Sated eyes looked down on her as he raised himself up. "My beautiful sister," he said, his voice musical in its bliss. A hand traced her cheek and she looked away, uncomfortable with his attention. Smiling at her avoidance, he pushed himself out of her body and stood, fixing his pants. "You should go home, clean yourself up," he said as she sat up and covered herself, "You're a mess."

Keeping her replies to herself, Tári stood and began walking back towards the city. He didn't stop her, and she knew he wouldn't, but he followed her and that was enough to frighten She She kept expecting him to speak, something she wished he would never do again. Thankfully, he kept quiet.

She noticed he left her when she made her way up the stairs towards her room. Chancing a look back, she saw no one. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she held her bodice closed and entered her room, grateful that she made it without anyone seeing her.

*

TBC