Chapter 9 ~ Bated Breath

2.5K 455 111
                                        

Silvery moonlight gilded the satin mane of Legolas, and a wreath of leaves about his fair brow glistened

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

Silvery moonlight gilded the satin mane of Legolas, and a wreath of leaves about his fair brow glistened. Nearly an hour had flowed by since Faeriel slipped into slumber. Yet that giddy flutter still lingered in Legolas’ chest as he stood in the garden, sifting through the strange and wondrous events of the day.

He heard Radagast’s approach long before the wizard’s tattered hat bobbed into view, surrounded by tiny, blinking lights.

“Prince Legolas!” Radagast chirped, clutching a hedgehog gently to his chest. “Apologies—I was delayed. Sebastian was unwell and needed tending.”

In his other hand, he bore a brimming basket of herbs and berries

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

In his other hand, he bore a brimming basket of herbs and berries. Fireflies swooped in whimsical spirals around him, casting flickers of gold across his robes.

“How fares Faeriel?” he asked, eyes gleaming with concern.

“She sleeps in the meadow,” Legolas replied.

“Ah! Very good.” The wizard stopped before him. “Prince Legolas… would you tell me what happened in the Forest today? Precisely.”

Legolas drew a breath. “As I patrolled the glades, I heard her cries—faint but unmistakable. I came upon a skirmish: orcs attacking forestlings. And then… a light, blinding and terrible, erupted. When it faded, Lady Faeriel collapsed. Her hands were bound.” His voice cracked. His hands trembled, and he clenched them at his sides. “The animals—bloodied but uninjured—stood around her, as if to shield her.”

Radagast’s kindly eyes tightened with worry, his full attention fastened on the prince’s words.

“When the last orc fell, I ran to her. She was barely conscious, but she spoke your name. So I brought her to you. The animals followed.”

The wizard sagged slightly and closed his eyes. When he opened them, his voice quivered. “Thank you, young prince. Faeriel is like a daughter to me. You’ve saved her.”

Legolas inclined his head modestly. “Thank me not. I would do anything to see her safe.”

A soft, secret hope stirred in him—that keeping her safe might also mean staying near her. There was something curious about Faeriel living with Radagast. Perhaps she had been raised by him? That would make her quite young. If Radagast had dwelt alone for centuries, and Legolas had only glimpsed her in recent years, she might be no older than fifty.

𝒜𝓇𝒹𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓃ℊ𝓈✨ Legolas Love Story Illustrated Fanfiction Elf Fae RomanceWhere stories live. Discover now