𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑬𝑨 ¹ ↳ 𝒍. 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏

xxxviii. garden of butterflies

The moon seemed to illuminate Vera's glowing skin, causing an ethereal and rather eerie effect on the princess but enhanced her beauty. Legolas ducks his head to hide his smile before pushing himself off of his leaned, nonchalant position to sit beside Vera. He decided to stay with the mermaid and keep watch over the mermaid princess after regretfully keeping himself up throughout the night with the inability to fall asleep. The elf appreciated the rest he was mercifully granted but it seems that sleep doesn't come as easily to him as it does for the dwarf, mermaid, and man. Seeing as Vera is the only one awake during this hour, he had chosen to sit next to her and accompany her.

Vera grumbles tiredly, "what do you want, pointy-ears?" She sips from the flask once more, emitting a strange noise from the back of her throat at the burning beverage, feeling the effect of alcohol hitting her.

Legolas shoots her a look before letting his eyes fall to the flask in her hand. "Is that...what I think it is?" he asks curiously, raising an eyebrow at the smell emitting from the leather flask.

Vera doesn't answer, only handing it to him roughly, letting it hit his chest as he grasps it curiously. Lifting it to his nose, Legolas takes a sniff and grimaces slightly at the strong scent arising from the leather container. "Take a sip, if you want. But give it back to me...I'm not done," Vera mumbles haughtily, eliciting a laugh from the elf but he complied with her order before handing the flask to Vera after taking his share. "Y'know, mermaids aren't really that skilled in handling their alcohol but I, myself, believe I am talented in doing so." 

Legolas chuckles, bowing his head to conceal his smile at her obvious, drunken state. He remembered a time in which he was forced to aid Neptune Prince in his drunken rendezvous, practically dragging him through the halls of Imladris and dropping him off of Vera's room. Neptune couldn't have had more than five sips in total but he acted as if he drank five bottles. It seems that Vera acquires the same trait as her brother, already dazedly moving her head back and forth without any knowledge of what she is doing.

Nevertheless, he plays along. "Really? I seem to remember your brother falling drunk after five sips. I'm afraid I can't say the same about you," Legolas comments, earning a chortle from the girl. "Though I do wonder why you resort to such measures, and where you found it," he adds musingly, glancing at the open flask and mentally hoping she didn't pick it up from the floors, noting that it could be from anywhere.

Vera drowsily sways her upper body, forcing her head down in accordance with her torso's movements before leaning on Legolas' shoulder and murmuring, "Neptune's a wimp, he can't handle his alcohol as I can. Besides, I need it. It helps the ache."

"The ache?" Legolas frowns.

"Mhm." Vera nods. "My feet hurts. My legs hurt. My heart hurts. My head hurts. It aches. Everything aches," she mumbles, unknowing to Legolas' worried glance over her body. He didn't know that she was still in pain nor did he know that her heart hurt for a reason unknown. At the mention of her body undergoing agonizing pain, he frowns as his insides clench. "But I'll be fine."

"Why does your heart hurt?" he asks quietly, not wanting to disturb her head any more than he thinks he has.

"I miss my family...I miss the Hobbits...I miss Gandalf...I miss Boromir," responds the mermaid despondently. "I haven't been in the sea for a long time...I fear that my people are suffering as I am on land. Feelings are confusing, Leggy, I wish it all went away. But I know I can't...no need to worry, dear boy, I know I can't slip away again." Thoughtfully, she adds, "Thanks, by the way."

He frowns. "For what?"

"For helping me," she answers simply, adjusting her head to snuggle further into the elven prince's shoulder, bringing her head up at times to connect eyes with Legolas. She didn't seem to notice how close they were but Legolas was all too aware of the lack of distance between them as their eyes connected, brown and blue colliding with one another. He hadn't noticed the shifting shades in her eyes, based on the reflection of the light and the glint of the sun, as it transitioned from an olive green to a mahogany hazel. It astounded him.