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"She'll wake soon, Legolas. You should rest in the meantime." Lady Galadriel offered as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Legolas sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Alannah as she lay unconscious on their bed. It had been two days since he pulled her from the rubble and still, she showed no signs of waking.
"I'll rest as soon as I know she will be okay." He responded, never taking his eyes off her. Galadriel glanced at her husband Celeborn who stood nearby, speaking to one another silently.
"Legolas I can assure you that she will be fine. Lay down and take a rest, we won't leave the room and we will keep watch over her. You have our word." Celeborn said as he moved to sit at the nearby table that was still covered with many wedding gifts. Legolas shook his head.
"I cannot and will not. Part of me wishes to hold her and see her smile again and the other part of me is so angry with her. Ada is furious at her actions and part of me is as well. I curse whoever sent us that map." Legolas whispered as he motioned angrily to the map on the bedside table. Galadriel sighed as she moved to pick it up and study it.
"It was I who sent it. Do you still curse me?" Galadriel revealed as she sat on the bed beside him. Legolas looked at her in disbelief.
"Of course not." Legolas said as he bowed his head. "Forgive me. But please, tell me why?"
Celeborn stood from the table and moved his chair close to the bed, clasping his hand in his wife's.
"We thought that after so long of Alannah not knowing her past, that maybe she could receive some closure. We did not know the cottage was in such bad shape or we would have never sent it. When your father and us destroyed Dol Goldur, our efforts must have caused some quakes in the earth that in turn aided in the structures falling." Celeborn explained. "But now, it seems that the Valar had plans for Alannah as she lay beneath the rubble."
"The Valar?" Legolas asked stunned as he turned towards them, keeping his hand clasped tightly on Alannah's. Galadriel smiled softly as she looked at Alannah, knowing all too well what was occurring.
"Irmo to be precise. Lorien. When you first visited Lothlorien I gifted Alannah a potion to answer all her questions. That vial summoned him, and he graciously answered. It appears he has visited her once again." Galadriel explained. Legolas furrowed his brow, unsure of what else needed to be revealed to her.
Legolas jumped when he felt Alannah begin to stir, and then shiver as she did when she awoke after drinking from the vial in Rohan.
"Alannah? I'm here meleth nin." Legolas called out to her as her began to flutter open.
"Be kind to her, and we will speak to the king. We will leave the two of you now." Galadriel bent over and kissed Alannah's cheek before taking Celeborn's arm to be escorted to the throne room to speak with Thranduil.
Alannah jolted awake as her body began to shake, feeling an intense cold as she did the last time she was on such a journey. Her eyes darted around the room as she gathered her bearings only to settle on Legolas as he sat beside her on the bed. Her hands fumbled to grasp the blanket that was spread out on her body, so Legolas quickly worked to pull it up to her neck her to warm her up faster.
"Is there any pain?" Legolas asked with a soothing voice, holding back his anger. Alannah managed to shake her head no. He stood abruptly and walked into the bathroom, turning the faucet on to fill the tub with hot water.
Alannah managed to push herself into a sitting position on the bed, going over everything that had happened in her mind. Legolas returned and scooped her up in his arms, holding back his frustration with her as he peeled off her clothes and gently laid her in the tub. He turned to walk out when Alannah managed to grab the end of his tunic.
"Where are you going?" Alannah asked through chattered teeth. She noticed Legolas's jaw line tighten when he looked at her before bending down and kissing the top of her head. It was all too clear to her that he was angry at her but had too good of a heart to express it as he grabbed her dirty clothes from the floor and walked back into their bedroom.
As he shook the dirt from them, the small rock fell onto the floor. He quickly scooped it up and looked at in his hand, and unable to quell his anger anymore he stomped back into the bathroom. He slammed the door shut, causing Alannah to jump at the sudden sound behind her.
"You could have been killed!" He yelled as she sunk herself lower in the tub. Alannah struggled to find the words to say to calm him as he stood before her fuming.
"I wasn't." Alannah responded as she pulled herself out of the tub, grabbing a nearby linen to wrap around her body. Legolas stood aside, his eyes narrowing as he followed her into the bedroom.
"Is that all you have to say? You have no idea how terrified I was as I dug through dirt and rubble to find you. I hope you found what you were searching for." He hissed as he threw the rock he held in his hand out the open balcony doors. Alannah pulled a simple green gown from the armoire and pulled it over her head as he scolded her, waiting for him to finish so that she could speak.
"I did actually and if you would calm down I have so much I would like to tell you." Alannah softly responded. Legolas shook his head as he moved to help her tie the back of her gown. When he finished he walked to the bedroom door, pausing as he opened it.
"I will return when I know I will not say things I will regret." Legolas huffed as he walked out, slamming the door shut behind him.
~
Alannah stood in front of the king as he too, chastised her for her actions. It had been hours since she had seen Legolas, and she had learned that Galadriel and Celeborn had already departed to return to their home in Lothlorien before she had the chance to speak to them about her travels to Mandos. Thranduil quickly finished his glass of wine during his ranting when he finally gave Alannah permission to speak.
"I know I should apologize for my actions my lord, but I can't. I won't." Alannah responded. Thranduil narrowed his eyes at her as he leaned forward on his throne.
"You put the lives of many elves on the line as my son led the remainder of our forces on your rescue mission as well as risked the security of my kingdom. Yet you do not apologize still? Or what about the turmoil you've put my son through?" He fumed as he calculated his response. "The two of you have been invited to spend the summer in Gondor, perhaps you take your leave early. I'll need the time to lessen my frustrations with you before you return home." Thranduil quipped as he waved her away.
Alannah stomped out of the throne room, knowing her frustrations were much greater than Thranduil and Legolas's combined. She quickly made her way back to their bedroom, noticing Legolas had still not returned as she began to pace. An elf attendant walked inside, laying down a tray of food for Alannah's lunch.
"Will you please find my husband and bring him to me?" Alannah asked as she searched for something she could use to pack her clothes for the journey. She smiled softly as the elf bowed and quickly left the room, satisfied that at least one person was showing her kindness. Unable to find a trunk or bag large enough, she lay on the bed and decided to rest her eyes until Legolas returned.
~
The sound of the bedroom door closing woke Alannah as Legolas walked across the room. Still he was silent, not speaking to her as he laid his bow down and began to remove his jerkin. She noticed it was nearly night time and quickly grew annoyed with his actions.
"You've been gone all day." Alannah stated as she scoot herself to sit at the edge of the bed, folding her arms over her chest. Legolas huffed as he sat at the table. He pulled off his boots as he shot a mocking look of surprise at her.
"Oh, I barely noticed." He said sarcastically as he glanced towards the open balcony. Alannah finally had enough of the games as she walked over and pulled a chair to sit in front of him.
"Okay Legolas, I'm done with this. Yes, I took the map, and yes, I may have misled you about my intentions that day. But I need you to understand that it was something that I needed to do." Alannah said sternly. Legolas leaned back in his chair, silently gesturing with his hand for her to continue.
"It was fate that I was there, Legolas. When my childhood home crashed down on top of me, my soul was taken to Valinor..." She paused. "To the Halls of Mandos."
Legolas sat stunned as he leaned forward in his chair. He had never heard of something like this occurring but remembered what Lady Galadriel had mentioned earlier that morning and decided to remain silent and listen with an open mind as Alannah finished.
"I got to see my parents." Alannah said with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. "It was only for a moment, but seeing them and hearing them speak, and feeling their arms around me was something I have yearned for my entire life."
Legolas clasped his hand in Alannah's as it rested in her lap, now feeling guilt for his behavior. He ran his thumb across her skin, letting her know he was no longer angry with her.
"That's brilliant meleth nin. I apologize for having been so short with you. I was just so scared to lose you now that I finally have you here with me." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek before Alannah moved her hand to his arm to gently push him back into his seat.
"That's not all.... I saw Boromir." Alannah added softly. Legolas stiffened at the mention of his name, unsure of how to respond.
"Oh?" He managed to choke out as Alannah squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.
"Yes, and my heart is still full of joy at seeing him once again. He was the captain of Gondor that was once my friend... still my friend. He is at peace now, and finally so am I." She added tearfully. Legolas kneeled on the ground and wrapped his arms around her, noticing the lightness within her soul he hadn't felt since their night under the trees in Lothlorien before the attack in the woods. Her tears were not of a sadness, but of joy.
~
After the couple's heartfelt conversation, they made their way into the forest to enjoy the starlit sky. The night was mild with a soft breeze as they walked hand in hand, enjoying their peaceful stroll. Every now and again, an elven guard could be seen in the distance, keeping an ever-watchful eye on the borders of their realm. Legolas admired her as the starlight shone off her long hair and her eyes were filled with wonder at the beauty of the ancient woods.
"Would you like me to rebuild it?" Legolas asked as he squeezed her hand. "Because I can if you wish. I will make it as it was before." Alannah leaned against a large oak tree and sighed.
"No. If you did, it would just distract me." She answered. Legolas looked at her curiously as he moved his body close to hers.
"From what?" He asked, placing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Alannah couldn't help but blush at the way he was looking at her, still feeling like it was the first time they met.
"From this. From us, everything." She paused as she searched his eyes. "Whatever our future holds I don't want to miss it."
Legolas smirked as he leaned forward, effectively pressing his body to hers. The bark of the tree was rough as Alannah felt herself being pushed into it, yet it was the last thing on her mind.
"Like children, perhaps?" Legolas asked with a slightly more serious tone. Alannah was caught off guard a bit by his question as she felt a smile grow on her face. Before she was unsure about the thought of having a son or daughter of her own, but as she and Legolas looked up at the stars that peeked out from the tree tops she felt a spark of excitement replace her uncertainty.
"Perhaps..." She whispered as she pulled his face to hers. She captured his lips in a kiss and lingered there, leaving Legolas speechless as he pulled back slightly. Since she had awakened, everything about her seemed light. It was almost as if she was a slightly different person than he had known her to be and Legolas was falling even more in love with her because of it. He took in her scent as he tasted her lips on his once again, finding himself lost in their embrace.
"That will happen when the time is right, but what is to stop us from practicing?" He whispered breathlessly with a seductive smile stretching across his face. Alannah looked around as he dragged his lips across the skin of her neck. She knew elven guards were stationed throughout the kingdom even if she could not see them.
"Here? What if one of the guards sees us?" She whispered worriedly. The chuckle from Legolas's lips tickled her as he continued kissing her neck.
"They would turn around and walk away meleth nin. You are royalty as I am, they wouldn't dare to so much as glance in our direction if we were in the middle of a private moment." He explained as he captured her lips into his. Alannah melted in his embrace as the cool evening suddenly grew warmer, although she couldn't help but to still feel self-conscious at the thought of being seen. Legolas quickly sensed her uneasiness as an idea quickly formed in his mind. "Come. I have an idea."
Legolas quietly led them through the forest, expertly avoiding any guard they passed. They walked through the night unseen until he was certain no one would stumble upon them. He looked at a tall, ancient tree they had stopped in front of and pulled her to him. His hands roamed her body through her dress as their mouths crashed together, unable to stop and come up for air as they pulled their clothes off one another and let them fall to the ground. Legolas admired Alannah's bare form as the light of the moon captured her beauty. He was able to make out all the minute details of her round bosom and leaned down to capture one of her tight nipples between his lips. Alannah leaned her head back at the sensation as he trailed his tongue across her chest. They moved to lean against the tree as Alannah wrapped one leg around his waist, ready for him to take her in the moonlight. Legolas reached between her legs and softly stroked her most sensitive core as he felt her grow wet beneath his fingertips.
"Do you trust me?" Legolas uttered as she moaned and nodded her head. In one instant swoop, he flung her onto his back and quickly began to climb the tree. Alannah's head began to spin from the sudden change and held onto him tightly, feeling herself trembling from being so high off the ground.
"Not so high." She begged as their clothes heaped on forest floor grew further and further from her sight. Legolas ignored her request as he continued along with his plan. Finally, he stepped onto a large tree branch wide enough for them to step out onto at the top of the tree. He practically peeled Alannah from his back as she held on for dear life and gently laid her down on the sturdy branch.
Her body shook beneath him as he soothingly ran his hands over her, determined to bring her to a state of serenity. His soft fingertips glided over her arms, torso and down her legs as the soft wind caressed her skin. After some time, he felt most of the tension leave her body.
"Close your eyes." He whispered as he laid himself on top of her. Alannah hesitated as she held onto his shoulders. "You said you trust me."
Alannah obliged and closed her eyes, taking in everything that surrounded her. The air was much cooler and the sound of a nightingale in a nearby tree occasionally sung a sweet song. Legolas ran his fingers through her hair as he slowly felt her body relax beneath him.
"You are an elf meleth nin. The earth is part of you, it will protect you, and it will never let you fall. Nor will I." Legolas spoke as a small smile formed on her face. Alannah could feel it, the connection between her and the earth that surrounded her. She opened her eyes and stared into Legolas's when she realized she wasn't afraid anymore.
"Gi melin Legolas." Alannah whispered as she laced her fingers with his. He laughed as he leaned down to kiss her.
"Gi melin Alannah." He responded. Alannah pushed her hips upward into his, feeling his hardened length pressing into her. Quickly he moved his hand between them and pushed himself inside her. Alannah gasped as he set a slow pace for them, easily succumbing to the pleasure. The couple's bodies rocked in unison throughout the night, until finally they wrapped their arms around each other and fell asleep in the treetops of the woodland realm.