The more I looked at Legolas, the more I grew agitated. When would be the proper time for us to give ourselves to each other? I sighed.
Legolas turned his head at me, as if sensing my eyes on him. I looked away, pretending to look intently at a drinking game Gimli and Eomer was playing. I took a sip at my drink nervously.
The moment the liquid entered my throat I choked. What the heck was that?! It freaking tasted awful. My rib hurt at the violent cough it caused.
The hobbits laughed beside me and gave each other a toss with their mugs. Pippin smirked smugly at me and I squinted my eyes at all of them, already planning their untimely death for their pranks. But upon seeing Frodo and Sam I withdrew my intention to at just least glare at them.
"Leane," said Legolas who already stood beside me, "Are you alright?" he asked, concern etched in his brilliant blue eyes.
"Yes, I'm fine," I said clearing my throat, "Just drinking from the wrong glass."
Legolas peered his eyes at the mug in front of me and chuckled.
"You drank ale," he stated.
"Yes. It was terrible," I mumbled. "They switch my glass. I will get back to those hobbits next time and get even," I said a little too loud for the hobbits to hear me.
"Bring it on, Leane!" exclaimed Pippin, laughing–probably a bit drunk himself.
"I will help you get even, melleth nin," said Legolas, looking at me with mock seriousness.
Apparently Merry and Pippin didn't realize Legolas was joking, and their faces paled a little, while Frodo and Sam pretended not to see a thing. Simply put, the look on the hobbits' faces were priceless. I stifled a laughter but failing. Instead, a snort that resembled more to a pig laugh escaped my lips and I froze when I saw Legolas' eyes widened in astonishment at the sound I made.
I wasn't even drunk.
"Eru, did that really just happen?" he asked in amazement.
I felt so embarrassed and I was sure that my face right now was as red as scarlett.
Legolas was still stunned and unmoving, until all of a sudden he broke into a laughter. Hard.
"Legolas!" I scolded him in embarrassment and I pinched his side playfully.
The hobbits were laughing along with him. That moment I thought my face was burning with embarrassment. However, I couldn't help but laughed a little at my own stupidity. Heck, where had that pig laughter came from?
I was secretly enjoying seeing Legolas laughing so hard, thoroughly. The fact that he let his emotions slipped, here in the middle of the crowd, was for some reason very attractive and intoxicating to behold.
I wanted time to stop. To see him happy and carefree like this. Like he had no troubles and responsibilities weighing his shoulder. Like he was not a prince and had no reputation to worry about.
Legolas cupped my face in his hand and kissed my temple.
"You are so adorable, melleth nin," he said eventually, still chuckling. "What were you thinking just now?"
I chuckled. I must be like an open book to him. Absent mindedly I leaned in to whisper to his pointy ear.
"Marry me, Legolas."
The laughter in his eyes vanished as he looked down at me. His eyes then traveled to the hobbits beside me who now looked at us curiously.
"Excuse me, gentlemen. May I borrow the lady for a while?" asked Legolas to the hobbits while linking his arm to mine. He didn't even bother to wait for their response.
We went out again and stood in front of the white tree. Legolas gazed at me with amusement swimming in his eyes.
"Why, my love, do you want to marry me all of a sudden?"
"Don't you want to marry me?"
"Aye, I do. Very much," he said, his eyes still twinkled with humor. "But I didn't expect you to respond to my request so quickly."
"Is there a problem?"
"Yes. You are still not fully healed," he said matter of factly.
"I'm sure you will be gentle with me," I muttered and blushed.
Legolas brushed my cheek tenderly. His eyes softened and he shook his head lightly.
"Tell me. Why now, all of a sudden?"
"I don't know," I answered lamely, though it was the truth. "When I saw you laugh and so happy back then... Somehow it just felt right."
Legolas leaned down and kissed me lovingly.
"Oh, Leane. Melleth nin," he said in a low tone. "I should laugh more often then," he whispered after he broke the kiss.
I smiled and pecked his lips. "Seeing you happy like that is a view to behold."
Legolas smiled warmly and pulled me to his chest. To my surprise I could feel his heart thumping against my ears and sent my breath hitched inside my throat.
"Are you sure you really want this?" he asked softly.
"Yes, I am sure," I replied without skipping a beat.
"Are you sure it isn't the ale talking?"
"I'm not even drunk..."
Legolas bored his piercing eyes at mine before nodding. "You still have the ring, love?"
I smiled and patted my hip, where the rings were securely kept in the secret pocket in my baby blue dress.
My heart raced inside of me and I felt my breathing uneven as Legolas took my hands and brought them to his lips.
He softly and silently linked my arm in his and guided me back to my room in silence. Once we arrived at my door, he opened it and motioned for me to enter first with a shy grin. I entered the room, returning his smile and my insides made a flip in my stomach.
I stared at Legolas' form. He was closing and locking the door in our room. His silky, flaxen hair fell perfectly around his lean and muscly back. I was studying him intently when he turned his face at me.
He smiled softly at me and for some moment none of us move. We drank in each other's company there in the faintly lit room as the amber color from the candle in the lamp danced on the wall.
Legolas took the first step forward towards me and I mirrored his movement, taking out the box of the ring and held it with my both hands.
We gazed at each other and smiled shyly. Happiness and nervousness emanated off of Legolas and I was relieved to know that I was not the only one feeling nervous. I grinned as he opened the lid of the box in my hand, revealing two intricate gold wedding rings.
Legolas' hands touched the rings lightly before his hands brushed mine and led me gently to sit on the edge of the bed with him, placing the box between us.
He took one of the smaller rings from the box and held my left hand, kissing my knuckle. I beamed with joy.
A shine glinted in Legolas' piercing blue eyes that gazed at me, heavy with love and sincerity as he smiled.
"And hereby, I, Legolas Thranduillion, take you, Leane Andrews, as my lawfully wedded wife. May Eru the Illuvatar bless our marriage," he said, before continuing.
"Vandanya ná melital, ilya órenyaneno, sina cuilessë ar i ento, ar úvalmë ranya i tiello yanna ovantalmë," he said in a seemingly old elvish language that I didn't understand. It was possibly in Quenya.
The words rolled of Legolas' tongue beautifully and it seemed as if he had cast a spell on me. I may not understood it, but from the solemnity and the depth of the tone he spoke, I knew he was sounding a marriage vow to me.
Love swelled inside of me and I knew right then why I had no control over my heart. Why it beat so fast every time he was near me. Why it pounded every time he touched me. Or why it hurts so much when he was not around.
He owned my heart and I had no control over it anymore.
I did not know when the tears had escaped my eyes, but when he was done speaking, he brought a free hand up to brush away my tears and I smiled at him.
"My oath is to love you, with all of my heart, in this life and the next, and we will not stray from the path on which we walk together," said Legolas, translating his words earlier in Common Tongue.
As he spoke he slipped the golden ring on my finger and I beamed up at him with great happiness.
Another tear rolled down my cheek as I stared at Legolas. This moment was too surreal to me.
"Leane," Legolas said softly, knocking me out of my daze. "It's your turn."
Right then I realized that I had been lost under his words that seemed to be bewitching me. I pulled out another ring that was left on the box and held Legolas' hand.
The words flowed out of my mouth spontaneously, despite being unprepared.
"My dear, Legolas, the moment I first saw you I knew that my life had changed for the better, despite the fact that you almost put an arrow between my eyes," I said with a grin and Legolas chuckled lightly at me, though his gaze still held an incredible softness and an overwhelming amount of love.
"You intimidated me so back then and I wavered under your gaze every time. I remember the first day I met you, my mind screamed for me to run away from you. Yet it was your kindness, your attentiveness, your sincerity, and your selflessness that made my heart screamed for me to run to you, and it prevailed,"
"Words aren't enough to properly express how I feel and how much I love you. So hereby, I give my body, heart and soul to you. I give up my past and present to become who you are, and my future is yours completely,"
Legolas' eyes welled up with unshed tears as he gazed at me lovingly as if in awe and I marveled at how much love his eyes held for me.
"I, Leane Andrews, take you, Legolas Thranduillion, to be my beloved husband and a constant friend, here in the presence of God. To have and to hold. To treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy,"
At this point tears rolled off our cheeks and I sniffled as I continued.
"I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in everything, in good times, and in the bad, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live. Here in this life and in the next, I am yours."
I slid the ring to Legolas' slim, elegant finger and I kissed it as I looked up at him, maintaining eye contact.
Legolas pulled me up and kissed me affectionately and my mind was blissfully scattered. I didn't think about anything else other than the feeling of being here right now in his arms drowned in his loving kiss. My emotions were a mixture of crazy happiness, I thought I could die out of joy.
Given the solemnity of the moment, I even managed not to make a single pop culture reference. Not even in my mind.
This is so fluffy I'm gonna die!– in a good way, of course.
"Nin lithiach, Leane. Le melin. Le melithon anuir (You enchanted me, Leane. I love you. I love you forever)," Legolas whispered to me beautifully before finishing, "...my wife."
His wife.
My heart fluttered at the title he gave me. It sounded so right and perfect in his mouth.
I pecked his lips passionately before answering, "I love you too, my Legolas. My husband."
A smile lit up his face as he leaned in one more time to kiss me deeply and affectionately.
Soon our kisses turned more searing and passionate as he pushed our bodies against each other gently to lay us on the bed.
***
[Author's note: Unfortunately there was no church in Middle Earth, so I'd say we do it in the bedroom so we can get down to business. Stay tuned for more fun in the next chapter! I have been waiting so long to write this intimate moment Leane and Legolas shared for the first time. Thanks again for the support and feedback! x]