Light Within The Darkness 8

Light Within The Darkness

Part 8

Posted: November 16, 2007
Title: Light Within The Darkness
Author: Zilah

*****

I love you, my angel,
More than life itself.
My home is in your heart,
Now and forever.
For you, my soul is singing
For you, my heart is beating .

*

“I do not understand,” Legolas stammered, trying to hide the tremor that shook him. Was he really this transparent that someone who he had just met could see through him?

Celeborn looked at the young elf who seemed frightened but also confused, and he felt a warm wave of compassion in him for the first time in ages.

“No, I cannot read your mind, young Legolas. But I recognize that look in your eyes, only because it is far too familiar for me too. And I can see that you can’t bear to look at him at all… or is it my daughter that you cannot stand to look at? My longing is hopeless, but there is still some hope for you,” Celeborn smiled wearily.

“Don’t tell anyone, saes! No one knows about my feelings. I swear I will hide them somehow, and I leave as soon as the wedding is over. I will go, and never return,” Legolas whispered, knowing that it was useless to hide the truth, when Celeborn obviously had seen through him. He could only hope that the Lord was as compassionate as he seemed, and wouldn’t tell about this.

“You can be at peace, ernilen (My Prince). I never could set you in such danger. But we need to talk, in private.”

Legolas nodded, only slightly relieved. What had the Lord meant by all this? Why this secrecy, and what was more important: why Celeborn wasn’t at his daughter’s side when her marriage was concerned?

* * * *

Legolas sat in the Fire Hall, listening to his uncle’s beautiful music. Once again he thought that as amazing a minstrel as his uncle was, he loved his ada’s music even more. He remembered how he had asked about the issue from his ada Thranduil. He had been very young then…

…And he remembered how the King had said that ada Lindir’s voice was so beautiful to them because they both loved him so much.

“I think you are right, ada. It is no wonder that you love him so much; I think that ada Lindir is the most beautiful elf I have ever seen.”

Legolas smiled at the memory. Ada Thranduil had laughed and said that Legolas had an extremely good taste.

He frowned, when he stirred from his memories.

“Your opinion about my good taste is surely changed, ada Thranduil. What a fool I was, thinking that Elrond would ever love me.”

A sudden cheer echoed in the Fire Hall, and Legolas realized that the music has stopped. He tried to push his melancholy aside and joined in the applauses. He didn’t want to burden his dear uncle with his sorrows. He also was acute enough to realize that dwelling in them didn’t do any good to him. Legolas managed a smile as Alassien finally approached him, walking through the cheering crowd.

* * * *

Legolas was sitting with his uncle in the garden, when he saw Lord Celeborn approaching them. He rose from the bench, as did his uncle, and they bowed to the Lord.

“There is no need to be so formal, pyn- nith (young ones),” The lord smiled.

“Would it be too forward to ask you to speak with me alone, young Legolas?” He asked, and Legolas began to tremble. He watched, helpless, as his uncle bid his good nights and left.

“What do you want from me, Híren? Didn’t I say that I won’t cause any scandals while I am staying here?” Legolas said when they were finally alone. He couldn’t understand what Celeborn wanted from him.

“You don’t need to be scared, Ernilen. I mean no harm. But as I said, I needed to speak with you,” Celeborn assured, and coaxed Legolas to sit beside him. Legolas did, as he was bid, but he was suspicious and readied himself to escape if needed.

“Tell me, do you love him?”

Legolas blushed after hearing the direct question, and he silently prayed to find the right words. He swallowed, trying to vanquish the painful lump from his throat.

“I… what if I did? It does not matter, for he is bonded to your daughter before this week is over,” he finally stammered, trying to find out Celeborn’s intentions.

“…And will you really let him to step into a loveless marriage, maybe life-long misery with someone who surely won’t make him happy?”

“I don’t understand. I would do anything to have him, but he doesn’t want me. Why would he have become betrothed to your daughter if he did?”

Celeborn looked at the young elf who seemed miserable. It was obvious that Legolas’ feelings towards Elrond ran deep. Celeborn silently berated Elrond, who had turned away this beautiful creature.

“I have no answer to that, young Legolas. But still I’m convinced that Elrond shouldn’t marry my daughter. Celebrían doesn’t love him; of that, I’m sure.”

“And how in Arda can you be so sure? How it is possible that you aren’t at your daughter’s side with this issue? Wouldn’t she be hurt if she knew what you think about her marriage?” Legolas wondered, even more confused.

Celeborn sighed deeply as he tried to find right words.

“This marriage isn’t my doing at all. It is my wife who decided that Elrond would make a suitable husband for our daughter. She forced Celebrían to this by threatening to punish her loved ones if she wouldn’t agree to this. And Celebrían herself… she has changed… she is not the lovely elleth she used to be. I doubt anything will hurt her now. She loved another, but her lover died and she too was very near to stepping in the Halls of Mandos. But after that she has been like a stranger: cold and emotionless. Actually… she is now very much like her mother. Remember when I told you to be careful with Lady Galadriel?”

“You did, but I still can’t understand why she wanted to hurt me in any way. I haven’t done anything to her.”

A sad smile appeared on Celeborn’s face.

“You don’t need to do anything, Legolas. Believe me when I say that you only need to be in her way, and you are doomed. I tried to resist her clutches because I loved another. But all my efforts went in vain; my beloved ended up in the Halls of Mandos, and I myself injured badly when I tried to save her. When I woke up from my coma, I found myself bound to… her,” the ancient elf whispered. He was so tired. Was it really so that he would suffer in this horrid half life with someone he hated, forever? Was there no relief for him ever? But he would do whatever he could to prevent that this adorable young elf and Elrond from suffering in a same way as he had suffered.

They talked for a long time. Celeborn felt relieved when he finally had the chance to pour his heart to someone, and Legolas listened, more and more wondering how this elf had survived so long, even if the life was such a suffer to him.

“I am so lucky that I have a loving family, even if I have problems with my love life,” Legolas sighed.

“That you really are. I heard that you even had a little sister, after waiting so long. Elrond told me,” Celeborn said.

Legolas smiled when he remembered his sister.

“I don’t know what I would have done without her. Linniel is such a joy to everyone, and I love her very much,” he began, but started when Celeborn suddenly paled.

“What did you day? Wh… what is her name? What does she look like?” The older elf croaked, as if he was suffocating.

Legolas was puzzled by the Lord’s behavior, but he had no reason to keep the information.

“Her name is Aerlinniel, but mostly she is called just Linniel. And she is really as beautiful as her name. She has silvery hair like our ada Lindir and bright green eyes like ada Thranduil. And her laugh is as bright as silvery bells. We are sure that she has inherited our ada Lindir’s magnificent voice.”

Celeborn had buried his face in his hands, and his whole body shuddered with his sobs. This couldn’t be true! That his soul mate was returned to him, but he himself was still bound to another… to the one who had killed her. And then the horrid truth began to dawn to him: they needed to keep Galadriel away from her at all cost!

“Promise me, young Legolas, that you keep your sister’s name and appearance as a secret. It is extremely important. If Galadriel ever finds out about her she will be in great danger. When you go back to your home, you need to tell your adas about this. She needs to be kept away from my wife no matter what.”

“What in Arda you mean? How can you know my sister?”

Celeborn had a heartbreakingly sad gaze in his eyes when he whispered:

“I know her… because she is the one who is lost from me. Aerlinniel was my only love, my soul mate and she looked exactly like your sister. And that monster who I’m bound to is responsible of her death.”

*****

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