[LEGOLAS POV]
"What is on your mind, melleth nin?"
Leane didn't answer me right away. I followed her gaze to the view in front of us and found nothing but the dry white tree on the stone courtyard of Minas Tirith. I touched her arm lightly and she turned her gaze at me.
A beautiful smile adorned her slightly pale face, though I was relieved to see the color returned to her skin, even only a little. My eyes found hers and I felt my heart clenched a bit to find the still glowing blue eyes staring back at me instead of her usual dark eyes that would twinkle like a star on a night sky.
Her glowing blue eyes, a sign that I had learned to be one of vulnerability.
She had adjusted well with her power when she used it as an offensive weapon towards the enemy back on the battlefield. However it didn't prepare her enough when she used her fea (spirit) to heal Estel. The process exerted her fea even more than before. She was almost lost to me back then.
I shuddered at the thought.
Leane was unconscious for more than a week with nobody knowing how to treat her, save for the broken ribs on her chest. Even Lord Elrond himself and the best healer in Minas Tirith were powerless to wake her from her unconscious state.
"Her fea is lost in the limbo," said Lord Elrond in a grim expression.
"Is there nothing you can do? Please help her," I begged the wise elf as I clasped Leane's hand in mine.
"It is up to her to get back to us now," said Gandalf as he put a hand on my shoulder.
My heart constricted within me. The thought of losing Leane was as equal as the end of the world. A feeling of doom lurked behind my mind.
"The best we can do now is to treat her physical injuries as best as we could. Her ribcage is broken in several places, some are puncturing her lungs. When she wakes up she will find breathing to be a laborious task to do," added Lord Elrond.
"Leane ever told me about similar thing like this before in her world about sick people who sleep for days," said Merry. "They called it a coma."
I turned my face at the hobbit that sat across from me and questioned him. "And what became of the person in such condition?"
"Mostly they... Die," he squeaked but then he continued as a light passed his intelligent eyes. "But there are some that came back and live," he answered.
My mind worked furiously at the information. Surely there must be a way to wake her up.
"If only she is in her world right now... Maybe then we can wake her," I commented wistfully.
"If only we can get our hands on whatever medication or magic that is in her world, then maybe," agreed the lord of Rivendell dubiously.
"There is no magic in her world," said Merry and his eyes seemed to water ever so slightly as he stared her sleeping face.
"If only true love's kiss is a real magic," added Pippin, his eyes sorrowful as he looked down at Leane's sleeping form.
"True love's kiss?" asked Lord Elrond, his face tilted in curiosity at the hobbit's statement.
"Leane used to tell us bedtime stories, fairytales about princes and princesses, where one of the character would be cursed by a powerful dark magic, but then finally a true love's kiss would break the curse and wake the princess who fell under a sleeping curse," explained Merry for Pippin.
"Leane said any curse can be broken by a true love's kiss. It was one of the oldest magic in the fairytales. But alas, she told me that they aren't real," added Pippin, his face fell.
My mind digested the information and a hope started to form in my mind. Could it be...
"Fairytales..." pondered Gandalf. "Do you know where fairytales came from, Peregrin Took?"
Pippin seemed to be still thinking when Gandalf answered his own question.
"'Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth,'" said the wizard, "Lady Galadriel said it once. And I think the same statement can be applied in her world."
"You're saying that the fairytales she told us were true?" asked Gimli in wonder.
I traced my fingers along her delicate face and jaw. Every part of her skin was ashy pale, almost as white as snow, except for her dark eyebrows and dark hair that contrasted the white skin of her face.
"Snow White," I muttered to myself.
Lord Elrond gave me a strong look. One that set my heart in determination. Any hope was still a hope, though unlikely, I would still try to bring Leane back to me.
I leaned in and pressed my lips on to her cold ones. I pulled away, expecting to see her open her eyes, but they were closed still. I grew frustrated and kissed her several more times deeply, ignoring the fact that there were still people in the room. Upon knowing that my effort was in vain, a tear escaped my eyes in frustration and sorrow, wetting her face.
My adar put a hand on my shoulder and looked down at me, his eyes softened in sympathy.
"'Tis not working," I said in defeat as I sat back down on the chair. My shoulders slumped as my eyes fixed on Leane's still, unmoving form that seemed like sleeping.
"Ion nin, do not beat yourself up for this. She is not lost to us yet," he said comfortingly, "You have been waiting by her side for days without eating properly. Come, let us go out just for a moment for you to eat and wash yourself, so that when she is awake, she won't find you in this rough state."
I didn't respond and my adar added, "She wouldn't want to see you not taking care of yourself," he said with a pointed look.
After a few more push from Gimli and Estel, I finally stood and left Leane reluctantly to eat with my friends and adar in the dining hall, and went to wash myself.
Just as I was out of my door to get to Leane's room, Merry were running towards me as fast as his short feet could carry him. The hobbit exclaimed with panting breaths.
"Leane is gone! She's gone!" he yelled. "One moment I left her for a pee break and when I return her bed was empty!"
The rest of the story was obvious. I spotted her riding a stallion and followed her out of the city with Arod, only then to find her talking in a dazed state about dead people and the Undying Lands.
Fear sent chill slithering down my spine at the realization that she was almost crossing to the realm where death would set us apart.
I remembered the way she spoke as her breathing laboured, with every intake she winced. I saw pain etched across her pale face every time she took a sharp breath, and she would gasp as if she was choking. Her body seemed fragile and weak as I saw fatigue drained her strength, and I was powerless to help her ease her pain.
Leane put a kiss on my cheek and smiled at me, breaking me out of my reverie.
"You do that more often lately," she said softly, her eyebrows crunched together in concern.
"Do what, my love?" I asked.
"Zoned out. What's on your mind?"
"You," I said truthfully.
Leane blushed and giggled; I thanked Eru that she no longer gasp for air or seem to be in pain when she laugh or chuckle.
"You always know the sweet things to say, my Legolas," she said as she hugged me from my side. I put my arms around her and kissed her head before burying my nose in her hair.
"Tell me, really. What's on your mind?" she asked again.
"I was really thinking about you, Leane. I am glad that you are here with me."
"You're worried about me."
I nodded. She squeezed my arm and beamed up at me.
"Oh Legolas. You're worried about me too much. Relax a bit. I'm fine," she said with a grin and I kissed her temple.
"Istan, melleth nin. Istan (I know, my love. I know)," I said to her. "Gi melin (I love you)."
Leane smiled and her lips arched up, adorning her beautiful face. I looked around to see that the soldiers around were too preoccupied to watch us and I captured her lips briefly with a deep kiss.
She smiled and embraced me tightly. I was still afraid of embracing her with the same fervor, afraid I would hurt her like the last time at the clearing outside of Minas Tirith.
"You've been staring at the tree intently," I finally said as I saw her looking back again to the tree.
"I've been waiting for the tree to bloom for days. Tomorrow is the coronation day for Aragorn to be crowned king, but the tree hasn't grown more flowers but one," she said seriously.
I chuckled at what seemed to be a very trivial matter and Leane pouted at me. I chuckled even more before asking her.
"What's the significance of the tree to the coronation day that you cared so much about it?" I asked. "Surely you are not merely concerned about the decoration."
"It should signify the return of the king to the throne of man. But seems that the little piece of fate isn't going to happen here," she muttered.
I thought for a moment. I put my fingers on her chin and brought her face to look at me. I smiled.
"Maybe it needs a touch of a certain, beautiful ring-bearer," I said as I kissed her lips. "And I do not mean Frodo."
Her doe blue eyes lit up at my words. She stood up and walked to the tree and placed her pale hand on its bark.
I had been expecting flowers to bloom magically out of its dry branches, but seeing it happened before my eyes didn't stop me from being astonished. My mind was blown.
The once dry tree now spurted up with bountiful white flowers. Life seemed to flow in its fibre. I stood up in awe and walked to Leane's side and beamed at her.
"You are amazing."
"And you are brilliant," replied Leane.
She smiled widely and we both gazed at the tree intently for some time, before a small crowd joined us in awe to watch the blooming tree.
The wind blew and sent white petals flying around the courtyard and more people came out to see the tree. Squeals of delight could be heard around us, and I gazed at Leane who stared at the tree with a wondrous smile on her face.
White petals flew around her and some landed on her hair. The white flowers contrasted her dark, shining hair and matched her delicate personality. I stared admiringly at her unaware self. She was so beautiful. Love swelled in my heart and I had never been happier.
I am the luckiest elf alive.
***
[Author's Note: Nope, this is not the last chapter. I mean it. Stay tuned!]