Part 10

Posted: October 2003
Author: Inwe Saralonde

*****

‘How can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down
How can you stop the sun from shining
What makes the world go round.'
‘How Can You Mend A Broken Heart' – Bee Gees
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Early evening

Aragorn's POV

"I wish to apologise, Aragorn."

I whirled around – Haldir stood in the doorway of my room. I eyed him warily.

"Are you sure that is what you want to do – apologise?" I asked cynically. I saw Haldir wince.

"Aragorn, please, may I come in?" he entreated.

I deliberated for a moment before curtly nodding assent, watching as Haldir entered the room and closed the door.

"You love Legolas."

I looked down at the floor, before raising my head. "Yes." I saw no point in denying it, not after I ran after him when he saw me in Haldir's room. Nor could I deny the pain that I saw in Legolas' eyes, though he tried to hide it – a sight which still haunted me. It made me realise that the twins spoke true – that Legolas loved me. It also made me realise that I probably had destroyed any chance I could have had with him – Elladan was right when he said that I had hurt Legolas badly.

"Why did you not say it was Legolas you loved?" The question startled me.

"I did not see it as any of your concern who it was, Haldir. I just rue the fact that I allowed myself to be swayed by you," I said.

"Allow me to speak to Legolas."

"What?"

"Let me talk to him, let me explain…"

"Explain what, Haldir! That I allowed myself to be almost seduced by you? No, if anything I am the guiltier of the two of us. I should never allowed…"

"…to get as far as it did. You have already said that, Aragorn."

I took a deep breath. "Haldir, I do not think it would help resolve matters if you spoke to Legolas; if anything, it would probably worsen it." I looked away. "I think you should leave, Haldir."

There was a moment's silence, then Haldir spoke. "Very well, Aragorn." I could hear him walking to the door. "I saw Legolas down in the gardens before should you wish…"

"Don't you *dare* offer me advice as to what I should do!" Angrily, I turned to face Haldir. "Your ‘advice' would be the last thing I would accept right now!" I saw Haldir flinch.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, before opening the door and quietly slipping out of the room.

I ran my hand through my hair, and sat down on my bed. Already I felt ashamed for my angry words to Haldir. I had lashed out at him when my anger was best directed at myself for getting into this mess in the first place.

And I spent the next hour trying to work out what on earth I was going to say to Legolas.

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Legolas' POV

I requested to have supper sent to my room – I could not face going into the dining room with the possibility of Aragorn being there. I had by then resolved to return to Mirkwood first thing in the morning. I could not face Aragorn, not now. I needed time to get my thoughts into order. A lone tear trickled down my cheek; I brushed it away angrily, annoyed with myself.

There was a knock on the door. I stared at it, praying that it wasn't Aragorn. I managed to find my voice. "Who…who is it?"

"Silinde."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Come in."

Silinde entered, shutting the door behind him. He leaned back against it, arms crossed over his chest. "What are your plans, Legolas?"

"We leave first thing tomorrow. I have delivered the King's message to Lord Elrond, and received its reply. There is no need to stay any longer." I walked to the window and looked out at the deepening shadows.

"Because of what happened."

I turned slowly to face Silinde. "What do you mean, because of what happened?"

"Aragorn and Haldir." My eyes widened. "Half of Imladris heard a rather…interesting conversation between the sons of Elrond and Haldir, and Aragorn's name came up quite a few times. Something about Haldir having been warned to stay away from Aragorn, and may the Valar help him if he so much as approached Aragorn again, or words to that effect." Silinde paused, moving away from the door.

"Legolas, we cannot leave – *you* cannot leave, not until this has been resolved."

"By the Valar, Silinde, I cannot stay here a minute more! If I could I would leave tonight!" My voice began to tremble, and I could feel the tears threatening again.

"I just cannot…" I took a deep breath to try and keep the tears at bay. "No Silinde, I can't face Aragorn, not just now. I don't think I could bear it."

"Legolas, don't you think you're being a little melodramatic?"

‘Melodramatic?' "Excuse me Silinde, but according to your good self and one or two others, Aragorn is supposedly in love with me. So I come to Imladris to ascertain this and to tell him of *my* feelings for him, only to find him happily cavorting with Haldir! Well, if that is being melodramatic, then so be it! As far as I am concerned…"

"…you need to speak to him," said Silinde. "If you don't have this out with Aragorn soon, it will eat away at you. You *must* speak with him. If he seeks you out, listen – don't turn him away. Give him a chance to explain. He is more honourable than you give him credit."

I looked at Silinde. "Honourable? Honourable?!! Of all the…" I sputtered. I began to pace the room, muttering: "First Erestor, now you."

"Erestor?" Silinde wore a puzzled expression. "What do you mean ‘first Erestor, now you'?" he asked.

"Because I am only hearing the same thing from you as I did from him!"

"When did you speak to Erestor?" Silinde asked.

"After I saw Aragorn in Haldir's room, I ran out into the gardens. He followed me, and we talked."

"You spoke to him of your feelings for Aragorn?"

"Well, why not? Everybody else seemed to know how I felt about him – one more person wasn't going to make a difference, now was it?"

"And what did he tell you?"

"What you just told me…oh, and that he too believed that Aragorn was in love with me," I gave a grimace. "Your ‘advice' and that of Erestor's is very similar. As is Ada's and yours – that I should let Aragorn know of my feelings for him."

Silinde gave a small smile. "They do say that great minds think alike. And because we know you, Legolas – you sometimes need to be pushed into the right direction. The fact that your father and I, or Erestor and I, think the same, is because we see the same thing."

I smiled weakly. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to be able to leave Imladris until Aragorn and I have spoken?"

Silinde placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's a beautiful night, Legolas. Go out in the gardens, and let the peace and tranquillity of Imladris help clear your mind."

I closed my eyes briefly. Opening them, I looked at Silinde. "Thank you, I think I will do that."

And that was where Aragorn found me…

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