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Contentment radiated from your very soul as you stood in the shadow of the pillar. Watching as your brother took his beloved’s hand and led her in the first dance as husband and wife.
The assembled guests burst into applause as the music began, and after a few moments, couples began to take to the dance floor. They all reveled in the joy of the newly married couple.
You continued to watch, head leaning against the cool marble pillar, as you watched your brother and his wife.
Aragorn and Arwen.
King and Queen of Gondor.
Your heart hummed a song of happiness. Happiness for your brother. He deserved this. Deserved more then every moment of this night. This day. And any other that came with Arwen by his side.
Never once had you doubted their love for one another. Even when Aragorn had begun to doubt, you had stayed strong for him. Had never let him let go of that hope, of his love for Arwen.
And it had borne fruit.
They were married now.
By the Valar they were married.
A burst of pure happiness radiated form your chest, prompting you to smile.
“It seems even you cannot refrain from allowing yourself to smile on such an occasion.” Came a voice from the other side of the pillar, one full of mirth and a tenderness that was only reserved for you.
Legolas.
Though there was a pillar between the both of you, you could still envision the smile on his lips and the gentleness in his eyes.
“No one can resist. Not tonight.” You said, your voice soft as your gaze roamed around the hall where the wedding party was. “Not when they are in the presence of a love so great it shall never burn out.”
A soft laugh was his response. “Is that how you see their love?” He asked, always in awe of the way you saw the world. Legolas was always fascinated when it came to looking at the world through your eyes. You always provided a unique perspective for him.
“And how do you see our love?”
The question prompted you to blink in surprise, and very nearly look in his direction. But you stopped.
A sound that was a mixture of a sigh and a giggle, fell from your lips as you spoke softly. “I see our love as something that shall transcend lifetimes.” Silence followed your words, and you were sure you had surprised him with your answer.
You closed your eyes as you leaned against the pillar and continued to speak.
“I see our love as bright as the light of the Valar.” You felt him move, prompting you to take a step back, so that you were half-concealed within the shadows.
“I see our love as our salvation. Even in the most dire of times, it was our light.” You were now standing behind the pillar, still leaning against it, your eyes closed. But you could feel him.
Standing right in front of you.
“I see our love as an entity that saved me from myself.”
Finally, you opened your eyes, only to loose breath at finding him standing so close to you. His blue eyes penetrated to the very depths of your soul.
“I see our love as the light that guided me out of the shadows.” You continued, your voice barely above a whisper as he reached out to tenderly stroke your cheek with his fingers.
There was a time when even thinking of having someone be in love with you as Legolas was, would have you scorning at the thought. Love had no room in your life. Not when you had promised your mother that you would help Aragorn on his path.
As the heir of Isildur, he had much on his shoulders, and as his sister, you were there to ease the load and help him however you could.
No distractions.
But then you had met Legolas.
And for the first time in your life, you had no clue how you would navigate through the plethora of feelings that awakened within you.
Feelings that had a warmth grow inside you, one you had never felt before. One that continued to grow with each passing day. It had felt so strange, to feel that warmth glow within you, to feel it flicker whenever he would look your way. Or feel it lick along your skin when he would touch you. By accident or purpose, you did not know.
And what had you done to combat those feelings?
You had retreated into the shadows. Had retreated into yourself just because you were afraid. Afraid that these feelings would become real, too real, if either of you said anything out loud.
So you hid. You hid in your shadows, and behind your silence.
You barely spoke to him, barely acknowledged him. And though he kept his distance, Legolas was not one to give up easily. He was sure of his feelings for you long ago.
The elf was never obvious about them, however, his subtlety at conveying the depth of his affection for you were ones you had never missed over the years.
Then again there were times when even your feelings for him could no longer stay within the shadows and would come to light.
The first time you had shown signs of the deep affection you felt for the Prince was after a rather harrowing run-in with a band of orcs. You were greatly outnumbered, but still your small group of Rangers stood their ground.
You had only just felled an Orc, adrenaline racing through your body, your eyes already seeking out another opponent.
That was when you saw Legolas.
He had run out of arrows and was now fighting with his two long knives. Two Orcs at once. His entire concentration was on the creatures in front of him, leaving one of the stray Orcs to raise a wicked looking axe, aiming to strike the Prince from behind.
Amidst the chaos around you, your voice screamed his name. Your body acted without thought as you raised your sword and threw it in the direction of Legolas’s would-be-killer.
The sword didn’t find its mark, but it did knock the Orc off it’s feet, giving Legolas time to collect himself and take care of the Orc himself.
The sight of the Orc standing behind Legolas about to strike him haunted you for days. Your sleep was plagued by night terrors, where you were not able to help him, where you watched helplessly as Legolas fell. The light in his eyes slowly dying. That was normally when you forced yourself to awaken.
Your body would tremble, your emotions on the very precipice of a cliff that had no end in sight. Valar! You were loosing your mind. A few nights after the encounter you had a particularly harrowing night terror. Not only had Legolas perished in it, but Aragorn too. As had Arwen, Elrohir, Elladen, Elrond, and so many others that you had grown to love since you knew them.
You had blindly stumbled from your sleeping roll, unaware that Legolas had been the one on watch that night. That he saw you as you stumbled away, saw the tears that ran down your cheeks as you disappeared into a cluster of trees near their camp ground. Worry gnawed at his heart and quickly waking the next person to keep watch, he followed after you.
It was rather easy to find you, since you made no effort to hide yourself. There you were, leaning against a tree, your head buried in your hands as your shoulders shook. In the stillness of the night your sobs echoed clear and the despair and utter sorrow behind those sobs caused a near physical ache to bloom in the Prince’s chest.
Unable to stand by and do nothing while you suffered so, he stepped forward reaching out to gently place a hand on your shoulder.
Even before feeling his hand, you knew he was there. It was a strange ability you had. You always knew when Legolas was near. Unbeknownst to you, he shared the very same ability.
At the moment though the rawness of your emotions and the night terror still lingering in your conscious thoughts had you pivoting on your heel and throwing your arms around him in an almost desperate embrace. You clung to him, head buried in his shoulder, arms wrapped around his torso. The sobs began anew and through broken words and whispered phrases you told him of your fears and night terrors.
The moment Legolas felt your arms around him, he had not hesitated in returning the embrace. His hands traced gentle patterns against your back, fingers slowly sliding up to your hair where he began to stroke and play with the soft strands.
Once you had exhausted yourself and had spilled out the reason behind your tears, you slowly fell silent. Your sobs turned to gentle sniffles and slight tremors as you tried to calm yourself. Now that you were somewhat at peace, Legolas took the chance to reassure you with his words.
“You have said your piece Little One, now you must listen to mine.”
Little One. He had called you so since he first met you. But the words were never said in a condescending manner. Sure he called you so because of how young you were compared to his elf years, but there was always something endearing about the way he said the words.
You felt a gentle hand tug at your chin. You tilted your head back in response, opening your eyes to finally meet Legolas’s ever blue gaze. One that was full of compassion and affection.
“You must not allow the darkness of this world to overcome your good heart Y/n. Not only will the people who love you mourn your loss, but this world will be a much better place if you were to face it with a smile on your face, and light in your heart.”
He still held your chin ever so gently, while his other hand continued to play with your hair. “Darkness will come, there is no denying, but all we can do is look past it, look towards tomorrow and hope that we have the people we love with us so that everyday is brighter than the last.”
Your eyes were wide, and swimming with unshed tears. But his words, his voice, resonated within you. So much so that you decided then and there to live your life to the extent of which you had denied yourself for so many years.
As Isuldir’s heir, Aragorn was the one who caught the attention of those who knew who he was. He didn’t like it, he never did. But it was inevitable.
He especially hated how people seemed to forget that he had a sister who shared the same blood as he did. You were just as important, he would reassure you, but you had waved him away at that.
“The people need a King, Brother. A symbol of hope. And you are that symbol. Not I. I am merely the shadow that shall stay in the shadows watching you and protecting you.”
You had spoken those words years ago, never thinking that someone else would come to stand beside you in the shadows. Someone who would take your hand and help you along your path.
An elf who would become your closest confidant.
A friend who would comfort you whenever you should need it, and whose soul you would soothe in return.
The prince who would fall in love with the princess.
Wearing the silver circlet that shared many similarities to the one he wore, you pushed yourself up to your toes, grasping his shoulders for support, to press a gentle kiss to his forehead.
“Thank you.” You spoke softly, the smile upon your lips leaving him breathless as you gazed at him. His hands found yours, grasping them tightly within his as he lifted them to his lips to press a kiss to the knuckles of both your hands. “Nay.” A shiver ran through your body as you felt the word whispered against your skin.
“It is I who should be thanking you Little One. For loving me and allowing me to love you.”
You laughed softly, gently guiding him forward so that your bodies were all but pressed together in the most intimate of embraces. “En melda caun.” My beloved Prince. “Since neither of us will accept the other’s gratefulness to loving one another, let us simply celebrate it together?” You offered.
A laugh, one full of nothing but joy and happiness of what was to come fell from his lips as he gave a small nod of agreement.
Before closing the last of the distance between the both of you and sealing the promise with a kiss that would chase away the last of the darkness that lingered in your heart.
You were his, and he was yours.
Nothing could part you from one another.