Legolas regarded her with eerie stillness, his face a beautifully painted mask as he stared down at her with electric blue eyes; eyes that were the exact replica of his father's. It really was unnerving how much he resembled Thranduil at first glance, yet the subtle differences were distinct enough that Charlotte felt a fool for having mistaken him as Thranduil in the first place.
Though, to be fair, she had been trapped under a spider and hadn't been able to get a proper look. All she had seen was a flash of silver-white hair and had assumed he was Thranduil. That was her excuse and she was sticking to it.
Charlotte gawped up at him from her position on the hard ground, distantly noting that Legolas had inherited his father's lustrous platinum hair, blue eyes and dark brows (though not as pronounced as Thranduil's).
Where Thranduil exuded poise, grace and maturity that bordered on haughtiness, Legolas, on the other hand, radiated a certain warmth that leaned towards a boyish charm.
Legolas, she concluded, was a perfect combination of both his mother and father.
"Are you hurt?" Legolas enquired; his tone soft yet aloof.
"Only my pride," Charlotte quipped as she struggled to her feet, dusting herself off in the process. "Not exactly how I pictured us meeting," she said, grimacing at the memory. This story would probably live on for years of how Legolas first met his step mommy while she was pinned under a spider. It certainly didn't make for a first good impression.
She glanced up to see Legolas regarding her pensively, no doubt drawing up his own conclusions about her. Though he stood utterly still, his piercing eyes followed her every move. He wore an earth toned tunic, the hue warm and rich against his pale skin, and on his legs he wore greige leggings and tan supple leather boots. Leather arm guards adorned his forearms and strung across his back were his infamous bow and quiver. In this moment, he looked very much the elvish warrior from the movies.
Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! her mind squealed, going into full fangirl mode as the reality of her situation hit her. I'm finally meeting Legolas!
Legolas, in question, arched a brow – a trait that was unnervingly similar to that of his father's – at the toothy grin that suddenly found its way on Charlotte's face as she stared back at him.
She smiles at me almost as though she knows me, he thought with irritation.
"You must be Charlotte," he finally said, breaking the silence that had stretched on for longer than was comfortable, the human woman still grinning foolishly at him.
She gave an eager bob of her head.
Legolas studied her for a moment longer, his eyes narrowing fractionally. She looked as though she wanted to run up to him and give him a hug – a disconcerting thought in itself.
"So you are the human woman who is to be wed to my Ada?" he asked, a touch of tetchiness tinting his voice.
Her smile dimmed around the edges at his tone. It wasn't hostile, but it wasn't exactly friendly either.
Charlotte now regarded Legolas with a certain amount of trepidation. She hadn't expected to things to go smoothly between them when they finally met face to face, and had, in her mind, prepared for some resistance. Though, honestly, she had figured she would at least have some more time before that meeting ever happened. But the hour was now upon her and she was going to have to deal with it as best she could.
"I take it your Ada sent news of...me?" she asked uneasily.
Legolas gave a curt nod. "That he did. Speaking of which, where is he?" he asked, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of Thranduil. He could not comprehend why his Ada would leave his betrothed alone and wandering the woods when it was clearly not safe to do so.
"Uh...we got ambushed on our return trip from Dale. I think he's in that direction...or that direction," she said, pointing in one location then another, turning around full circle as she tried to figure out where the Elvenking was. She chewed on her bottom lip, looking completely out of her depth. "Actually, I have no idea. My sense of direction is terrible at best," she said with a nervous smile.
Legolas mentally rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation. What does my Ada see in this silly little mortal?
"And how did you end up over here, having strayed so far from the path?"
"Tallagor and I were being chased by two spiders..." she began to explain and suddenly stopped, her hazel eyes widening with fear. "Oh! Tallagor! We need to find him," she suddenly stated, her voice rising with panic. "He went after the other spider. He might be in danger!"
"Who is Tallagor?" he asked with suspicion.
"My moose," she replied distractedly as she spun around frantically, trying to figure out where Tallagor had gone.
"Your...what?"
Charlotte waved his question away. "My moose. I'll explain later. Now use your elfy ears and help me find him," she demanded, closing the distance and clutching tightly at the sleeve of his tunic, all the while gazing up imploringly at him. The worry was plainly etched on her face.
"My...elfy ears?" Legolas didn't know whether to be offended or amused. He was leaning towards the former. Does she dare speak to me Ada in such a manner?
Charlotte gave an impatient huff. "Yes! You can hear far better than what I can. Now can you please put your impressive hearing to good use and see whether you can find out which direction he went?"
Legolas glared down at the rather diminutive woman, but the fierce fire blazing in her eyes told him that she was not going to back down. Not from this.
"Fine. But will you kindly release your hold on me?" he snapped, his electric blue eyes shifting to her hand which was clutching at the material of his sleeve.
Charlotte glanced at her hand firmly gripping his sleeve, not realizing that she had down so, and instantly released her hold on him. She stepped back, a scowl etched on her face, and muttered under her breath, "You are so like your father."
Legolas turned his back on her, mainly to hide his amusement at the comment he had heard as plain as day. He vaguely wondered how well Charlotte knew his Ada for her to make such a statement. Quite well, it would seem.
He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes as he listened for any unfamiliar sounds in the distance. From what little information he had gathered, he had to assume that Tallagor was some sort of animal, albeit an unfamiliar one. Though his mind was failing to conjure up a suitable image of what a moose would look like.
Then he heard it. Some sort of gruff and unusual bellowing in the far-off distance; a grating noise that sounded like belligerence rather than pain.
At least the animal is unharmed, by the sounds of it, Legolas thought to himself.
Opening his eyes, he turned around to face Charlotte, noting the look of trepidation writ all over her face.
She cares for this Tallagor, he mused.
"Follow me. He is not too far from here."
"Does he sound hurt?" Charlotte asked as they started running through the woods, Legolas making sure to keep his pace steady so that Charlotte could keep up with him.
"Nay, though he does sound highly annoyed. Does his call usually sound so...brash?" Legolas had no other word for the sounds coming from this moose. It really was not pleasant to the ears.
Charlotte chuckled. "Yup, that would be Tallagor. Be thankful you can't smell him yet. He can be quite gassy."
"Duly noted," Legolas said dryly, now imagining an unnatural and hideous looking creature.
They dashed through the forest, dodging around thick, bending trees in their pursuit, Charlotte doggedly sticking close behind him. Then Legolas stopped abruptly in his tracks, almost causing Charlotte to crash into his back.
Charlotte opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but Legolas swiftly held up his hand to silence her, rapt concentration etched on his features as he listened to something only his pointed ears could hear.
Like father, like son, she thought annoyedly.
Legolas took a nimble step forward and peered around the base of a tree that stood sentinel in front of them. He remained still for quite some time, and then he finally motioned her forward.
Charlotte stepped around him and stopped in her tracks at the sight before her.
Tallagor was pawing at the ground, grunting and snuffling noisily as he peered up into the thicket of one particular tree. Charlotte followed his line of sight and saw the spider perched on a thick branch, hissing and making sharp clicking sounds at the moose down below him. It was almost as though the spider was taunting the moose. Charlotte was stunned at the sight.
Tallagor let out a long-drawn bellow of frustration. The spider hissed again, though it made no move to try and attack him. It was probably trying to figure out how best to get around those formidable looking antlers.
"It's hideous," Legolas remarked, coming to stand beside her and crossing his arms across his lean chest.
"Yeah, spiders are creepy as hell. Especially ones that come in that size."
"I was talking about your moose."
Charlotte shot him a withering glare, which only had Legolas grinning back at her; his eyes twinkling just like Thranduil's did when he was winding her up.
Yup, definitely like his father.
She turned her attention back to Tallagor, eager to get him as far away from the poisonous arachnid as possible. "Tallagor!"
The moose startled and then glanced her way, looking almost contrite at the realization that he had left her all alone. But that was instantly forgotten when he peered back up back at the spider, and then back at her, letting out a mournful sounding moan. It was almost as though he were begging her to get the spider down for him so that he could have some fun with it.
The sound of a bow being drawn taut caught Charlotte attention and she saw that Legolas had an arrow notched in his bow and was taking aim.
"No! Don't shoot Tallagor!" she pleaded, grabbing his arm to stop him.
Legolas rolled his eyes this time. "I had no intention of doing so. Kindly call your moose away, unless he would rather a very heavy spider landing on top of him," Legolas cautioned, his eyes narrowing as he steadied his aim.
Charlotte withdrew her hand from his arm and turned her attention once more to Tallagor, knowing full well that the Prince of Mirkwood was quite serious.
"Tallagor, move out the way unless you want to become a moose pancake. Believe me, those spiders are heavy."
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Legolas' mouth curve up in an amused grin as he recalled exactly how he had found her, and Charlotte flushed at the memory.
Tallagor paused, eyeing the elf warrior standing beside her and the weapon he held in his hand, and decided that maybe she was right.
He backed up a few paces and waited at his safe distance.
Suddenly the arrow whistled through the air, finding its mark in the cluster of beady, soulless eyes of the spider. It let out an unearthly screech before toppling to the ground, landing with a resounding thud on its back. Charlotte shuddered at the sight of its hairy legs twitching before it finally succumbed to death.
Tallagor stepped forward cautiously, making snuffling sounds as he sniffed at the corpse. He nudged it with his antlers and, once he was satisfied that it really was dead, the moose turned around and trotted towards Charlotte, his head held high and looking exceedingly pleased with himself.
"I don't know why you look so smug. Legolas here was the one who killed the wretched thing," she muttered, running her hand along his bulbous his nose affectionately. Then she wrapped her arms around his thick neck, being mindful of his antlers.
Finally pulling back, she looked him straight in the eye and admonished, "You deserted me."
The pitiful sound that came from the moose had her forgiving him almost instantly.
"Though you did an excellent job of chasing it away," she consoled.
Movement caught Tallagor's attention and he turned his head to study the elf who had ventured closer. Charlotte had to quickly duck her head to avoid being hit by his antlers.
Legolas and Tallagor regarded each other with undisguised interest, each sizing the other up. Eventually Tallagor stepped forward, sniffing the air around Legolas. Legolas, in question, remained utterly still, waiting instead for the animal to approach and make the first move. After a few moments, when Tallagor was near enough, Legolas reached out slowly and carefully, a smile blooming on his face as he anticipated petting the animal.
Tallagor paused, gave another sniff, and then let out a disgusted snort before turning around and returning to Charlotte's side with an annoyed grunt.
The look on Legolas' face was priceless. It wasn't every day that the Prince of Greenwood was rejected, and Charlotte couldn't help but laugh at his stunned expression.
Legolas shifted his attention to her, a frown forming between his dark brows.
"Sorry, don't take it personally," she chuckled. "I'm sure Tallagor will like you well enough...after you've given him something to eat. That's the surest way to his heart."
Comprehension dawned on Legolas and a knowing smile stretched on his lips. "It's just as well I come prepared then," he remarked, reaching for a rucksack that was strapped to his back. He opened it up and withdrew two apples, offering one to the moose in his outstretched palm.
Tallagor made a noise of delight and trotted hastily over to the elf, gobbling up the juicy, sweet offering without shame. Legolas let out a musical laugh and petted the strange beast.
"Traitor," Charlotte grumbled as she watched their interaction.
Legolas shot her an amused look, and as their eyes locked, the atmosphere shifted to something more serious.
"So it's true then? You are to be married to my Ada?"
Charlotte regarded him, racking her brains for the best way to approach this subject, but she was drawing up a blank. Finally, she settled for blunt honesty. "Yes."
Tallagor nudged Legolas' arm with his elongated nose, and the elf absently handed him the other apple, never taking his eyes off of Charlotte.
"How did this come to be?" he asked after some deliberation. There were many, many more questions he wanted to ask; questions Charlotte wasn't sure she could, or should, answer.
"I...I think that this is a discussion you should have with your father," she hedged. Thranduil would know best how to handle the situation and answer his son's questions without revealing too much dangerous information pertaining to the future. Charlotte was liable to let something slip.
"I'm asking you," he challenged. The pitch of his soft tone didn't alter, but it was rather the subtle shift in his demeanor that had her tensing up.
Charlotte swallowed; her mouth suddenly bone dry. Oh boy. Legolas is not going to let up until he gets the truth out of me.
"I...Uh." She huffed out a sigh. "Can't we just say that it's complicated?"
The infamous arched brow made an appearance once again, and Charlotte was floored once more at how much Legolas resembled his father when he did that.
"How complicated?"
"Very."
Legolas narrowed his eyes. Tallagor chose that moment to nudge against him again, begging for another apple. The elf scratched him under his chin, which had the moose grunting in bliss, and Charlotte half expected Tallagor's hind leg to start thumping against the ground like a dog when one scratches its ear.
"I see you have picked up the subtle art of tact – a very elvish trait I might add," he noted.
"I have Hérion to thank for that," she pointed out.
His surprise was evident. "Hérion tutored you?"
She nodded. "With great difficulty."
Both brows crept to his hairline. "Are we talking about the same Hérion?"
"Auburn hair and grey eyes. Surly attitude and sour temperament to match? At least, that's the Hérion I know, though I think he hides his true self behind an acerbic mask of sarcasm and dry wit," she babbled.
Legolas pressed his lips together in a thin line, though his eyes sparkled at her description of the royal advisor. "That would be him." He gazed off into the distance, lost in thought. Then he blinked, tilting his head slightly to the side as something in the distance caught his elfy ear.
"It would seem that my Ada has decided to show up."
Charlotte would have sighed with relief, but she had a feeling that some spectacular drama was soon going to go down.
No sooner had the thought entered her head than Thranduil burst into the clearing, coming to an abrupt standstill as he quickly assessed the situation. His cerulean eyes flickered to the dead spider and then to her and Tallagor, relief flooding his features to find her unharmed and very much alive. He quickly ascertained that the blood and gore splattered on her face belonged to a spider, maybe even the one currently dead not too far away.
And then his steely gaze finally came to rest upon his son, his mask cracking with emotion.
"Legolas," he whispered hoarsely.
"Ada," Legolas greeted formally, remaining still and stiff in the presence of his father. They had not parted on good terms and it was evident that Legolas was still hurting.
They stared at each other, neither saying a word. And then Thranduil broke the moment by swiftly sheathing his sword in a fluid motion before striding towards his son and pulling him into a tight embrace.
Legolas, from what Charlotte could see, was astonished by this public display of affection and did not immediately react. But then the stiffness in his posture eased and soon he was hugging his father back, closing his eyes momentarily as he was overcome with emotion.
Thranduil pulled back, his hands clasping his son's shoulders.
"It is good to see you, Legolas."
"I received your letter," Legolas stated with slow deliberation. "I felt it best that I return."
Thranduil gave a small nod of understanding. "You must have many questions."
"I do."
Charlotte was surprised at the civility of it all. If she had received a letter from her father telling her that he was going to marry a woman she had never met before, Charlotte would be spitting mad, ranting and raving for good measure. Elves, it would seem, possessed bucketloads of maturity and clear mindedness. They reacted to situations very differently to that of a human.
"I will tell you all you want to know once we return home," Thranduil promised, earning a nod of assent from his son.
Thranduil released his grip on Legolas and made his way over to Charlotte. He cupped her face tenderly between his palms, his eyes sweeping all over her blood-splattered features. Charlotte drew up her hands to cover his own.
"Are you hurt?" he murmured.
"No, this blood belongs to the other spider," she explained. "Legolas killed this one here."
An indignant snort sounded right beside her.
"With some help from Tallagor, of course," she added with a smile.
"You killed a spider?" The surprise was quite evident in his tone.
"Um, yeah," she replied, not sure whether to feel affronted that he thought so little of her survival skills. Though, truthfully, she didn't think much of her survival skills either. "Remind me to thank Feren when we get back."
She intentionally left out the part of the spider landing on top of her. It was embarrassing enough that her teenage crush had witnessed her in such a humiliating position – and she really didn't need Thranduil to know all the details either.
She glanced over her shoulder to see Legolas regarding them thoughtfully, a frown furrowing his dark brows. No doubt he rarely witnessed his Ada being so forthcoming with his affections.
She turned her attention back to Thranduil as his hands glided down her arms and came to clasp her hands in his own larger ones.
"Why did you run off? Do you realize how dangerous it could have been? You could have been killed!" He was angry now.
"We were ambushed by two spiders, Thranduil. I didn't exactly have time to think of a strategy," she snapped back.
"You could have called out to me, or to one of the guards. Running off was very dangerous."
Charlotte flushed and lowered her gaze. Thranduil was right. Of course he was. But it wasn't exactly as though she had much experience being attacked by bus-sized spiders. She had been reacting solely on instinct.
"Let's get you back to the palace and you can get cleaned up," Thranduil said more softly, not wanting to have this fight with her right now, in front of everyone. She was safe and unharmed, and that was all that mattered.
Charlotte perked up instantly at this suggestion. "Sounds good to me. Oh, my daggers!" she exclaimed, realizing that they were somewhere in the forest. She didn't want to lose the precious gifts that had come from Feren and had saved her life.
A guard stepped forward with the two daggers clasped in his hand. As he handed them to her, Charlotte noted that they had been wiped clean of all spider gore and blood.
"Thank you," she said with gratitude before sheathing them back in her boots.
She straightened up and saw Legolas eyeing her.
"Feren gave those daggers to you?" he asked.
She nodded.
His frown deepened, suggesting that he was unsettled by this piece of information.
Thranduil watched quietly from the sidelines, keenly observing the interaction between his son and Charlotte. Legolas, naturally, was feeling perturbed by everything (and he had every right to be), though he was doing well to hide it and keep his emotions in check. That was not to say that it would remain as such when they were confined to a private room and everything was explained properly.
"Shall we?" Thranduil asked softly, taking Charlotte's elbow and guiding her to Tallagor, who obediently knelt to let her mount. She clutched tightly at the reins as he rose up on his nimble legs. Charlotte patted his flank affectionately, silently relaying that she would not let Thranduil know that, in his zeal to attack the spider, he had deserted her.
"Where is your horse?" Thranduil asked Legolas.
"By the stream. I heard Charlotte shouting and left him there to investigate," Legolas explained. "I'll go and get him and meet you back at the palace."
"Take some guards with you. Danger still lurks within these forests," Thranduil ordered.
As Thranduil mounted Tallagor, settling behind Charlotte, Legolas watched in silence, his eyes widening fractionally at the sight of his Ada upon the moose. Tallagor was not majestic, by no means, and could not compare to Bethril.
This moose must have proven himself worthy for my Ada to hold him in such high esteem, he mused as he left to go and collect his horse.
"Are you alright?" Thranduil asked Charlotte after Legolas disappeared into the trees. His hand came to rest upon her hip as he gently nudged Tallagor forwards, his other arm encircling her waist.
"Yeah," she said distractedly. The reality of being attacked in their kingdom by those hideous spiders was bringing to light a stark truth. Thranduil had been correct in the fact that it would be better to wait until peaceful times before trying for a baby. She could not imagine brining a child into a world where such dangers lurked in the shadows. She would be forever fearful of their child's safety, terrified to even let him or her wander beyond the palace walls to explore the surrounding forest. No, it would be better to wait until all evil had been eradicated from Middle Earth.
"Is something bothering you?" he enquired.
She startled out of her musings. "Well, there is one thing." She paused, collecting her thoughts. Glancing over her shoulder to peer up at him, she implored, "Can you please never call me your 'little spider' again. I really don't fancy being compared to those creepy-crawlies." She shuddered at the thought.
Thranduil considered her request. He was quite fond of her nickname, but it would not do if it repulsed her. "If that is your wish, then I shall call you 'little one' instead. It is more befitting, considering your diminutive size."
Charlotte settled back against him, ignoring his light teasing. "Thank you."
Thranduil kissed the top of her head as Tallagor plodded along, heading back towards the main path.
"Are things going to be okay between you and Legolas?" she finally asked. Her concern was quite evident in her voice as well as her question.
Thranduil sighed. "I do not know, my love," he replied truthfully. Things were already strained between him and Legolas. This might prove to be the tipping point. It was a prospect he was not looking forward to, but had to face, nonetheless.