[LEGOLAS POV]
The news had been received that the Ents had conquered Isengard, Saruman's dwelling place. The hobbits were also there, so the Fellowship decided to make a trip there before going back to Edoras. I was telling Leane that I would stay with her, but she insisted that I go with the rest.
However I wouldn't go without a fight, not after her confession to me a few days ago. There were no words I felt enough to describe how I felt towards all the things that she had revealed to me.
All those horrible things that had happened to her. The torture. The loss. I couldn't even begin to imagine anyone go through such physical and mental torment.
She had lost everything. Her family. Her friends. Her life. She had been through so much pain that worth multiple lifetimes for mortal.
She had hid her feelings away from everybody, including herself, and I couldn't be more honored and at the same time feeling immensely pained all at once when she let down her guard and trusted me enough to show her true feelings towards me as she broke down.
It was still fresh in my mind, the image of her when she spilled her heart to me. She was grieved greatly behind the frustration and anger facade. She had for the first time shown me how vulnerable she was; that is the person who had lost everything.
Her big, dark eyes were red and puffy as angry tears cascaded down her pretty face that was creased by overwhelming emotions. The flow of her tears were unstoppable and it wet her neck and to the fabric on her chest. Suddenly it was as if I could see years of hardship in her watery deep, dark brown orbs. The urge to hug her forever and never let go engulfed me that day.
What struck me the most was how she returned to her usual self the very next day. I still couldn't understand how she managed to joke and laugh then when she woke up– she even managed to look embarrassed and blushed at the mention of her emotional breakdown.
That kind of hardship would surely kill an elf. But here she was, after losing everything she knew, selflessly trying to save the world she didn't have to save, only to earn more scars than most people would even bother to think of.
Being an elf that had lived through countless mortal lifetimes, I thought I had seen it all. Known what was need to know about the mortals. But the more I open myself up, the more I befriend the humans– like Aragorn, Leane– the more I found myself astonished with how much they could still surprise me.
I remembered those times when she provided comfort and strength for the people around her, whether it was with her words, her smile, her stories or her songs. Yet I still didn't know where she drew her strength from.
The sound of her speaking snapped me out of my reverie.
"You have a role here. You have an obligation to be with the Fellowship. You need to go with the others," she stated, giving me a knowing look. A look that I had learned to be the 'fate' look.
I sighed in defeat. I knew fate was something bigger than any of us, but I was reluctant to be separated from her again. For some reason I always suspected that trouble would always finds her when I am not around.
"It will be almost a week until I see you again. What if something happens to you when I am not around? I will never forgive myself if I am not present when you need me," I retorted stubbornly, still not wanting to leave her.
She smiled fondly, her eyes soft. Her smile shone through the fading bruised cheek. Some cuts were still grazing the side of her pretty face. How I wanted to kiss those injuries away from her skin if I could. That time I regretted the fact that I refused my adar's offer to learn healing arts back then in Mirkwood.
She smiled at the look of my face, shook her head in amusement and hugged me from the side. She must found my overprotective instinct towards her to be odd. Yet I care not.
"You still have the coin I gave you?" Leane asked out of the blue. My eyes lit up at the mention of her precious gift to me.
"Aye," I replied as I produced the coin she gave me from my pocket.
"I have mine too," she chirped, showing me the coin, identical to mine. "These items might not be magical, but have faith that wherever we go, as long as we still have the coins with us, it will bring us back together again."
I felt my heart melt at her words. I gave in to the instinct to kiss her temple and I stared at her. Her black strand of hair glowed under the moonlight; her face bathed in the pale light, her soft, plump pink lips alluring me when she spoke.
"Wasn't it proven already?" she asked, lifting her eyebrows lightly.
"Aye. We were reunited together again, but with you almost bleeding to death," I said, remembering the sight of her limp form on the battlefield. I was being serious, yet she found it amusing. Her laugh rang pleasantly on my ears like a tinkling bell.
Then she leaned to me and kissed my cheek. A blush crept on my face and I silently thanked the Valar that it was dark. Yet she giggled as if knowing my thoughts.
"I promise the next time we meet, I will not bleed to death or dying. I will try to look pretty for you and very much alive," she promised, a hint of amusement lingered in her voice. "I heard there will be a feast once we arrive in Edoras. It's a great occasion to play dress up."
"You always are pretty and beautiful, melleth nin," I said as I brushed a strand of her soft, dark hair behind her ears. I fought the urge to kiss her senseless; her lips was just too distracting.
A smile that didn't reach her eyes graced her face and she let go of my arm, looking away. Her eyes were fixed on the stars above us but I could see as a daylight that her mind was somewhere else.
"What's bothering you, my love?" I asked her, unable to hold my curiosity.
"Nothing," she answered, shrugging her shoulders.
A pang of disappointment passed me as she guarded herself from me.
"You lied," I stated bluntly, "You promised me that you will tell me if anything ever bothers you, do you remember?"
She looked hesitant for a moment before answering me with another question.
"You ever said that an ellon would court an elleth for some time before deciding to marry her, didn't you?" she said, finally turning her eyes at me.
I couldn't contain my smile. The fact that she had been thinking about marriage excited me. I wasn't alone at this. Knowing that she reciprocated my feelings was a bliss. She continued.
"Is it possible that during the uh, courtship... he change his mind along the way and court another elleth?"
The tone of doubt in her voice was registered first before the words itself. A lump formed in my throat and I felt my gut twisted uncomfortably inside my stomach. She blinked several times at my silence before I finally spoke.
"Why are you asking this? Are you having a second thought about us?" I asked, hurt sliced my heart at the thought of her leaving me.
Leane's eyes widened in horror before answering, as if in panic.
"What? No!" she exclaimed, shaking her head frantically. Her eyes widened. For a split second I thought about how cute her doe eyes looked before she explained.
"It's just that, you're an elf and a prince! You can get any elleth you want. And I saw a lot of them already and they're beautiful and they will be too eager to have you. You should hear what they were saying about you in Lothlorien."
Understanding seeped into me and I released the breath that I had been holding. Relief washed through me. She was not leaving me. Though I couldn't understand why she mentioned another ellith at me.
My whole life I had been dealing with shallow ellith that were flirting with me endlessly, who had shown their interest merely at my title. I thought I was going to fade out of annoyance and boredom. Through it all I could only smile politely and usually couldn't wait for them to stop talking or for me to find an excuse to run away from them. Or from any parties my adar threw for me in hopes that I found someone during the festivities.
I thanked Eru for sending Leane my way.
"Why do you... Why me? I mean, I'm not an elf and anything special about me comes only from the Infinity ring," she said, doubt in her voice. For a moment I was confused; I must had misheard her.
"Is it possible that you are just sympathized at me and or... you feel somehow responsible for me because I'm your best friend and I'm a woman? Could it be that what you feel towards me, it's just a temporary thing?"
I was baffled. She questioned my feelings for her? Why would I not be with her? Why would she have this kind of thoughts about herself? Why would I be with an elleth that I do not even desire? I wanted her. Bad. Didn't she see it already?
Leane moved her hand past the insides of her glowing dark hair to the back of her neck, revealing the soft skin on its crease, a gesture she often did every time she was nervous or in a deep thought about something. I found the gesture to be sensual and I chased the less gentlemanly imagination away from my mind.
I snorted at both my stray thoughts and her unnecessary doubt about us. I turned my body towards her and grabbed her arms gently as I spoke, stressing my words to show her just how serious I was.
"I love you and only you. Everything about you is enchanting me. You, not the Infinity ring. Can't you see it?" I told her as I stared into her beautiful eyes. "You have ensnared my heart. Now it is yours forever."
The rosy shade that I loved so much on her crept to the apple of her cheek and she bit her lower lip as a lopsided smile graced her face.
I felt the air knocked out of me at the glorious sight and a pleasant jolt struck my being, sending heat to my lower body.
My restraint snapped. My eyes briefly scanned our surroundings, making sure that we were alone.
I slid my hand on her waist and grabbed her neck, crushing my lips to her delicate ones. The touch of her lips and her hands on my back, the smell of roses mixed with her own scent that engulfed me leave me wanting her.
Ah, so much for self control. Eru knew it was long gone the moment I met Leane. She did a wondrous job at breaking my resolve, and she did it without even realizing it.
However I hung on the edge, restraining myself from acting out of my desire.
To my dismay, my elven ears picked up the approaching sound of a couple pair of heavy footsteps, the ones that belonged to soldiers of Rohan. My lips kept hovering over hers, deciding to pull away later at the very last moment before they came in to sight range, but I was disappointed when Leane pulled away first.
I clenched my teeth as annoyance gripped me at the soldiers that interrupted our kiss.
Leane laughed at me and I looked at her, squinting my eyes at her. She laughed innocently at my annoyed face, oblivious to my internal battle.
But at seeing the twinkle in her dark eyes as she laughed, I couldn't help but laugh myself. I was being childish.
After our laughter ceased, I began to speak to her again.
"Do not ever doubt my love for you ever again, mir nin. You are beautiful and precious in my eyes. 'Tis an honor that you accepted my love for you."
"I love you, Legolas."
It was as if I was soaring to the seventh sky at the words that escaped her lips. I would never tire at hearing her saying how she loved me or the way she said my name. I felt words wouldn't suffice to express what I felt, so I kissed her, pouring my feelings into it.
"And I, you," I finally said, as she nudged my nose with hers lightly. She smiled serenely as her eyelids remained closed, and I saw that she had grown tired.
"It is late. Let me escort you to your chamber," I said and we walked together, arm in arm to the direction of her chamber.
We passed several soldiers on our way, their eyes looking at us curiously, but some of them had their eyes trained at the woman on my arm. Jealousy hit me again like a sudden, tidal wave.
The look men or male elves gave her always almost set me off. It took my willpower to not move in front of her to shield her from the lustful eyes of the soldiers and plant my arrows between their eyes.
For a moment I thanked Eru that Leane was almost always putting on the walls on her emotion sensing gift, otherwise she would have picked up my murderous mind right away.
She kept walking cheerily as this murderous thought swam in my mind, jealousy for her invading me. How could she was so blind to notice the look the men gave her every time? My mind drifted until we finally reached her door.
Leane entered her room without a word. Will she not at least give me a goodnight kiss?
She turned to me and frowned before asking, "Uh... Will you stay with me again tonight?" she asked innocently.
'T'was an inviting request. But I couldn't risk doing it again. This time I had no solid reason to stay, and I wouldn't risk us getting caught.
"Come on. I won't be seeing you again for many days. You can just slip away through the window in the morning," she taunted me, pouting her lips. What a very cute seductress.
I laughed and shook my head in disbelief. She had crumbled my resolve again only with her words and the look on her face.
"What have you done to me?" I asked more to myself. I scanned the hall, finding no witnesses and slipped into her room, behind the curtain. Leane giggled shamelessly upon her well done mischief.
"You are a naughty girl, Leane. You are a bad influence on me, just like Elladan and Elrohir," I accused playfully, remembering all kinds of trouble the twins got us into when we were still elflings.
"I am an amateur compared to those two," she protested and I chuckled.
"Actually, you are correct."
She smiled in amusement and I approached the bedside table to put my weapons and took off my leather armor, arm brace and boots.
I turned back to find Leane busied herself, digging into her bag looking for something.
Her shiny black hair cascaded down her back in a soft wave at their ends. Her soft blue dress hugged her form perfectly, revealing her observable body shape as her waist curved as it meets her hips.
I felt warmth spread on my being as I savored the simple yet intimate moment I have here watching her. I could get used to this, having her near me alone for myself. The thought of the possibility of having her as my wife sent butterfly fluttered on my stomach, hope and joy filled my heart.
She caught me staring at her a moment later as she turned and smiled at me.
"I'm going to change. Turn around," she said and I flashed a grin before turning around.
I could hear the soft sound of fabric slipping down her skin and hit the floor. I wondered at how she would look right now without a fabric covering her delicate form. How her skin would feel like under the touch of my fingers.
I blushed at the thought and chided myself at the inappropriate thought.
"Done," she announced as she climbed the bed and slid inside the blanket.
I was slightly nervous as I approached her to lay on the bed next to her. Resting my head on the pillow, I kept my eyes on the ceiling briefly, only turning once she spoke.
"You don't want to get into the blanket?" she asked innocently.
"Nay, I do not need it," I said matter of factly, ignoring the fact that deep down I would definitely like to do just that.
She smiled prettily at me as she rested her head on my arm. I peppered her head with kisses as I breathed in the rose scent that lingered on her hair. I held her close to me as I spoke randomly.
"Would you tell me a bedtime story? Think of it as a price for seducing me into spending the night with you." I asked, knowing how childish that sound but I couldn't help it. She was a great storyteller, and this moment was just perfect for it.
She looked up at me with her doe eyes and smiled softly. Her voice soft as I ran my hand through her silky dark hair.
"Once upon a time, there lived a little girl in a land faraway. Her name was Little Red Riding Hood, for she was little and always wore her red riding hood over her clothes.
One day, Little Red Riding Hood’s mother said to her, “Take this basket of goodies to your grandma’s cottage, but don’t talk to strangers on the way!”
Promising not to, Little Red Riding Hood skipped off. On her way she met the Big Bad Wolf who asked, “Where are you going, little girl?”
“To my grandma’s, Mr. Wolf!”"
Leane exclaimed in a high-pitched tone that was childlike and adorable, mimicking the character. I laughed at her cuteness and shuddered lightly when she moved her hand on my chest.
"The Big Bad Wolf then ran to her grandmother’s cottage much before Little Red Riding Hood, and knocked on the door. When Grandma opened the door, he grabbed her and locked her up in the cupboard. The wicked wolf then wore Grandma’s clothes and lay on her bed, waiting for Little Red Riding Hood.
When Little Red Riding Hood reached the cottage, she entered and went to Grandma’s bedside, surprised to see her unusual appearance."
She narrated the story flawlessly as she looked into my eyes, widening hers in exaggerated surprise, her voice turned into one of a little girl's.
"“My! What big eyes you have, Grandma!”" she exclaimed as she cupped my face, staring at my eyes in exaggerated wonder. I laughed at her vigorous storytelling, and she grinned cheekily at my response.
"The wolf replied, “All the better to see you with, my dear!”" I laughed harder at the sound of her deepened voice in attempt to mimic the wolf's voice.
Without warning her hand touched my ear and I froze at the sudden sensation that jolted through my being at her touch.
Eru, what was she doing to me?
The female was going to be the death of me.
"“My! What big ears you have, Grandma!”" she exclaimed, brushing my ear softly. I had stopped breathing. My eyes fluttered close involuntarily at the sensation of pleasure that she inflicted on me. I strained inwardly, fighting a moan from escaping my lips.
She kissed me softly before continuing.
""All the better to hear you with, my dear!” said the wolf."" she narrated softly, not using a fake voice this time as she ceased brushing my ear and let go.
I resumed breathing with relief. I opened my eyes reluctantly and found her smiling lovingly at me. Her soft hand brushed my chin.
She was driving me crazy and she didn't even know it. Maybe asking her for a bedtime story was a bad idea after all.
""What big teeth you have, Grandma!” said Little Red Riding Hood.
“All the better to eat you with!”" she shouted with made up menacing snarl and my smile grew wider at the funny face she made.
"The wolf growled, pouncing on her. Little Red Riding Hood screamed and a woodcutter that happened to be in the forest came running to the cottage at hearing the scream of Little Red Riding Hood. Together they beat the Big Bad Wolf and rescued Grandma from the cupboard.
Grandma hugged Little Red Riding Hood with joy. The Big Bad Wolf ran away never to be seen again. Little Red Riding Hood had learnt her lesson and never spoke to strangers ever again.
And so Little Red Riding Hood and Grandma lived happily ever after, along with the woodcutter who became their lifelong friend. The end."
My smile grew bigger at the happy ending of the animated story she told me, and I couldn't help but think:
How could such an innocent bedtime story being told through her lips could become so intimate and immensely pleasurable?
"And the moral message from the story is: Being careful is good, but sometimes we messed up. However, in such troubled times, it is likelier that true company might be found from the most unexpected places and time. And that good will always win."
I gazed intently at her. She was amazing and beautiful, and the fact that she was ignorant to it only pulled me towards her even more.
She blushed at my unwavering stare, much to my pleasure and she resorted to stare at her hand that was laid on my chest.
I clasped her hand and slid my other one to her neck, pulling her down to a kiss.
Oh, how inappropriate the position we were in right now; kissing in bed. If my adar found me like this, he would surely sentence me to death. Yet I care not.
I kissed her affectionately, her lips so soft and plump. I explored the taste, the shape, the feeling of her lips against mine. I deepened the kiss and continued kissing her, fighting the urge to kiss her senseless.
I was afraid that kissing her roughly in this compromising position would make it hard for me to control my desire for her, so I slowed down– but she didn't.
I pushed her on her back lightly as she began to kiss me harder; fearing of losing control. I kissed her one last time before pulling away reluctantly.
"T'was an exciting story I have never heard before. It is childlike, innocent and simple. Yet when you tell it, it became much enjoyable and I discovered a much wise message behind it."
"I'm happy you enjoyed the story. To be honest you reminded me of Little Red Riding Hood. And the woodcutter, of Gimli."
I laughed a throaty laugh at that, finding her statement highly amusing.
"Why, do tell, melleth nin, do you think of me as a little girl in a red hood and Gimli as the woodcutter, hm?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.
She smirked. "Because like Little Red Riding Hood, you were sent merely as a messenger from Mirkwood, intended to only represent your home in a secret council. Yet here you are, in an adventure to save the world. Finding an unexpected friendship with the one you once despised– Gimli."
I smiled at how true her words were, and how deep was her thoughts at analyzing such simple story and relate it to our reality.
"I was blind," I admitted, brushing her hair, "Back in Rivendell you were trying hard to make me and Gimli to become friends and put our differences aside. Now I know why."
Gimli and I had become friends along our journey. Apart from our differences years ago, I found that he was an honorable, loyal friend as well as a brave warrior, though a bit too loud and stubborn most of the time. We had fought many foes together, arm in arm, and I gained a worthy competition along the way as we bragged on how many orcs we have slain in the battlefield.
Leane had seen this and was putting an effort to make us put aside our differences back in Rivendell. Regret nagged at me as I remembered how I had left her on the table in the dining hall that day without even acknowledging her.
"Forgive me for my ignorance. I was not seeing it before and even acted impulsively that day in Rivendell's dining hall."
She giggled with a girlish sound and my heart warmed at the beautiful sound. Then she yawned adorably. I tugged the blanket to her shoulder as I smiled.
"Losto vae, Leane. Elei velui," I whispered and I nudged her nose gently.
"Losto vae, aur nin. Gi melin."
Sindarin flowed her lips beautifully and my heart soared at her saying my nickname and telling me that she loved me over her sleepy smile.
Soon her eyelids fluttered close and her breathing steadied as she fell into slumber in my arms.
"Gi melin, pen vain," I whispered at her ear and kissed her soft cheek.
I spent another hour watching her sleep, drawing breath in and out of her nose before I felt my eyes began to unfocus and eventually glazed over, light sleep overtook me as her warmth and the softness of her body surrounded me.
***
[Author's Note: Legolas, no matter how noble, he was just a man. And like all men (women also), he also had desires, especially regarding those he loved. Leane, after all, was her mate. So what do you think of this Legolas POV? Let me know in the comments and see you at the next chapter! Thanks for reading, precioussss ♥️]