Jewel In The Palace(Lord Of The Rings Fanfiction)

A Thousand Years

~~O~~

He was watching her, Lenneth realized with a shiver, glancing over in his direction out of the corner of her eye.

The elf maiden was sitting under the trees with a book, wondering why she had not chosen this particular method of escape before.

It was peaceful.

Quiet.

Undisturbed, more or less.

That was, until a certain blond elf decided to stick his pointy nose...and ears into it.

"What are you doing here, Lenneth?" Legolas sneered as he advanced towards her.

She stiffened, her afternoon's peace lost forever.

"I do not see how that's any of your business, mellon nin." she said, closing her book. The pages made a rather final sound as they met between her palms.

"Anyways," she continued, looking up at him, "what have you been doing back in Ithilien?"

"Looking for some trees to climb," he replied, pulling out a joke on her.

But Lenneth just stared at him blankly, lifting her chin defiantly and praying he would go away.

The prince sighed, "Fine." he said, gripping a branch of a tree in front of her more firmly. The next thing Lenneth knew, he was sitting across from her in two seconds. Unfortunately, across from her was not much better than next to her. What had seemed like a peaceful, easy place only moments ago suddenly became a prison of sorts to her.

Legolas did not seem to feel this same awkward closeness. He leaned back at a tree trunk and closed his eyes. They sat like that for some time, Lenneth stiff and perhaps a little scared, while the other completely relaxed.

"So," he said at last, cracking an eyelid.

"So...what?" she replied, staring fixedly off into the distance.

"Oh, for Eru's sake, Lenneth, look at me. I don't bite." Legolas complained finally.

She looked at him and saw that he was leaning forward, looking at her irritably. Something in her expression made his face soften.

"Lenneth," he said softly.

"Why am I the last to know?" she immediately asked.

"I would rather hear about your marriage straight from you than hearing it like a wildfire news."

"You do not understand." He reached out, gently but firmly cupping her chin in his hand, feeling her flinch just slightly at the touch as he turned her face towards him.

"What is it that I do not understand?" She snapped, cursing the slight tremor in her voice.

"My marriage was indeed a news, but I have not told them yet who am I going to wed." he replied easily.

His thumb came up, stroking her cheekbone so gently she wondered if she was imagining the touch.

"How puzzling." Lenneth stated flatly, looking at the ground again.

"Would you look at me?" Legolas gripped her chin more firmly, tipping it up, turning it towards him.

She obliged, noting a strange look in his deep blue eyes. A gentle intensity, if that made any sense.

"I want you to be the first to know who she is." he whispered, his face suddenly closer to hers, eyes searching her face, still stroking the delicate angle of her cheekbone.

He could feel her skin, so warm and smooth, on his palm and thumb. It was just how he imagined, and he yearned for it to be more. He longed for more than just close proximity.